East Timor or Timor-Leste, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia (by Indonesia). The capital is Dili and it uses the USD as currency. Official languages are Portuguese (because it was colonized by Portugal) and Tetun. It's been a little rough for them. In 1975 they declared independence from Portugal only to be invaded by Indonesia the same year. Finally, in 2002, the country became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century!
But things are still hard. Almost 40% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day. Which is crazy. And about 50% are illiterate. But things are slowly improving and hopefully getting better!
If you want to learn more about this country, visit the Wikipedia page.
Originally I was going to make this involved soup, but if I felt like it used too many ingredients, I can only imagine that it's not really everyday fare for these islanders. So, I went with something that appeared a lot in my searches: Batar Da'an. It's essentially a corn, bean, and squash soup. Looking at all the recipes, if you wanted to be completely authentic, you would just have those three ingredients, salt, and pepper, and serve over rice. But I needed a little more flavor, so I just added some simple ingredients like garlic and onions to give it a little more flavor. Make it however you'd like!
This meal is one of those that is nothing to write home about, but it is cheap and incredibly filling. And it doesn't taste bad by any stretch, it's just very... normal. It's definitely something that you could eat for days and be okay with. We liked it.
Batar Da'an
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced (pumpkin was also a popular ingredient)1 can red kidney beans (or mung beans... but I wasn't going there today)
1 large onion, diced
3 cups stock
Garlic, minced (to taste - I use about 4 cloves)
1 can or 2 cups corn
salt and pepper
Ai-manas to serve on the side (see below) OR sub:
red pepper flakes
basil (or 1 sprig fresh which is best, but I used dried)
dash ginger (or fresh)
lemon juice
OR use pre-made chili sauce or other spicy sauce like Tabasco
Rice for serving
Method:
Saute onions and garlic until tender.
Add stock and squash and increase heat until simmering. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining ingredients. Cook until squash is tender (15-20 minutes).
Serve over rice.
If you are feeling ambitious (and I wasn't), you can make your own chili paste. Untested recipe here, so use at your own risk. :)
Ai-manas
Recipe found here.Chili peppers 1/4 lbs fresh and pulverized (use Thai peppers or long hot peppers for best result)
2 Shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Basil (Thai is close to the type they have there), one big sprig
Ginger fresh and grated or sliced one medium sized root (about the size of your index finger)
Lemon juice 3 tbls
Lemon skin with outer layer sliced off leaving white flesh sliced
Salt
Mix together.
Enjoy your eating adventure. :)
Michelle, I wanted to tell you that your blog has given me an insane lightning bolt of inspiration. We struggle SO HARD with getting Toby to eat dinner. It's seriously a battle every single night. It's to the point where we have fed him poptarts, chicken nuggets, or Nutella sandwiches and a protein shake every night this month.
ReplyDeleteToby is absolutely obsessed with other countries and cultures. That's where your blog smacked me in the face. I'm thinking if I can get him to pick out a country and have him help me make a dish from the country he chooses, maybe we can get him to eat a little more than his regular junk-fest. You are a genius. Bless your beautiful little face. And the rest of you too.
I am so glad! Picky eaters are so hard. Hopefully this can help start a new trend of awesome eating experiences. :)
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