Ai Manas, a Timorese recipe, is quite popular among tourists in East Timor. The Ai Manas, which are made with spicy chilly, have a variety of flavors depending on where they are made. Timorese cooks frequently employ red and green chilies in this delicacy. You'll also need lemon rind, garlic, ginger, red onion, and other ingredients in addition to chilies. In East Timor, the Ai Manas is served as a side dish. With a dish full of rice, serve the Ai Manas. Because there are so many chilies in the recipe, it will rapidly heat up your food.

Ingredients

• 8 hard-boiled eggs, oil for deep frying, 1/4 lb fresh thai chilies or whatever chili you like I used fresno, 2 shallots minced, 4 garlic cloves minced, Thai basil one big sprig, ginger fresh about 2 inches, grated, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, Lemon zest, salt to taste

Instructions

• Peel the hard-boiled eggs
• Heat the oil to medium high, deep fry the eggs until they turn brown
• Drain on paper towel
• For the chili paste,
• Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix well, season with salt to taste
• Serve the chili paste with the eggs.
  

Bibinka is a popular yet delectable dish in East Timor. The Bibinka is essentially a cake made with grated coconut. There are several creamy layers in this coconut cake. The cooks will need coconut milk, butter, egg, coconut, rice flour, and other ingredients to make Bibinka from scratch. The cake is grilled by the chefs. The aroma of banana leaves is preserved in this manner.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup fresh milk, 1 piece salted duck egg sliced, 1/2 cup grated cheese, 3 pieces raw eggs, 1/4 cup grated coconut, Pre-cut banana leaf

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine rice flour, baking powder, and salt then mix well. Set aside.
• Cream butter then gradually put-in sugar while whisking.
• Add the eggs then whisk until every ingredient is well incorporated.
• Gradually add the rice flour, salt, and baking powder mixture then continue mixing.
• Pour-in coconut milk and fresh milk then whisk some more for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Arrange the pre-cut banana leaf on a cake pan or baking pan.
• Pour the mixture on the pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven then top with sliced salted egg and grated cheese (do not turn the oven off).
• Put back in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the color of the top turn medium brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Brush with butter and top with grated coconut.
• Serve. Share and enjoy!

"Curry" is the definition of the word "Caril." The Caril is mainly made with chicken and other animal products in Timor-Leste. The Caril, however, is not as fiery as other Timorese cuisines. In nature, it's rather light. As a result, folks who are ill can request this curry-based cuisine. The gravy is thickened with potato pieces and other vegetables by Timorese chefs. The coconut paste thickens and enhances the flavor of the gravy.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, 3 meduim onions thinly sliced, 1 kg chicken cut into meduim peices, 1 lime pc tamarind soaked in 1/4 cup hot water, 1 cup coconut milk, Salt to taste, Coriander leaves for garnishing, 1 cup grated coconut, 4 dry red, chillies Kashmiri, soaked in 120 ml warm water till soft, 6 garlic cloves, 3 cm pc ginger, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp whole black peppercorn

Instructions

• First prepare the paste. Put all ingredients into a jar without the chilli water and grind till smooth. Add the water little by little till you have a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan. Fry the onions till it becomes nicely browned.
• Add in the paste and saute for a few minutes.
• Add in the chicken and toss well. Cook for 10 minutes on closed lid, tossing it one time in the middle.
• Add a cup of water and salt and allow it to cook till done.
• Pulp the tamarind water and coconut milk and allow it to boil for five minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

In East Timor, these Portuguese tarts are very popular. These are in the shape of bowls. The Portuguese tarts, which are yellow in hue, are more tasty than conventional tarts. You'll need puff pastry, egg yolks, all-purpose flour, and other ingredients to make it. To prepare a flawless Portuguese tart, you'll need to put aside about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅓ cup cold water, 1 stick high-quality unsalted butter, fully softened, divided, ¾ cup white sugar, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon water, 1 cinnamon stick (Optional), 1 lemon, zested in large strips (Optional), ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 ½ cups milk, 6 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Optional)

Instructions

• Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve what's shown in the video.
• Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roll dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough should still be sticky.
• Spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a silicone spatula, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.
• Turn dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter; dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with flour and roll into a square a little over 1/8 inch thick. Spread remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1 1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and polish the ends as needed. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210 to 215 degrees F (100 degrees C). Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven 550 degrees F (288 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Whisk flour, salt, and cold milk together very thoroughly in a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks into the cooled milk. Add the sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a glass measuring cup.
• Unwrap the dough and trim any uneven bits on the ends. Score log into 12 even pieces using a knife; cut through.
• Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes. Cool tarts briefly and serve warm.

Feijoada is a Portuguese dish that is now popular in Timor-Leste. In most places of East Timor, this Feijoada is cooked. For this Feijoada, however, you should go to the ancient eateries and cafes for authenticity. Pork and other veggies are commonly used in Feijoada. You can make this dish even more delicious by adding beans and chorizo.

Ingredients

• 1 pound carne seca (see notes for substitutions), 3 large (about 1 pound) smoked calabresa sausages, 2 (about 8 ounces) paio sausages, 5 cups (about 2.2 pounds) dried black beans, 3 dried bay leaves, ½ large orange, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced, 1 large onion, chopped, 12 cloves garlic, minced, Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

• The day before you plan on cooking the feijoada, trim the excess fat of all the meats (except the bacon) and place them in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water 3-4 times, to get rid of the excess salt.
• Place the black beans in a separate bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak overnight in the fridge.
• Drain the meat and beans. Place the soaked meat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and cover with enough water so they’re all submerged. Cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Let them boil for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed. Drain and reserve.
• Combine the boiled carne seca, beans, bay leaves and orange in that same pot. Pour 2.5 quarts cold water and cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the sausages. Cover and continue simmering, occasionally skimming the fat that rises to the top, until the meat is tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Remove the orange and bay leaves. Discard. Remove the meat and sausage and slice into smaller pieces. Reserve.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until no longer raw but not yet golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add a ladleful of the cooked beans, without liquid, and stir to combine. Using a fork, mash the beans, to release their starch.
• Pour that mixture into the feijoada pot and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. If too thick, add more water as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Return the meats back to the pot.
• Serve with white rice, collard greens, fried bananas, farofa, vinaigrette salsa and orange slices!