Local food map Atauro Island (Timor-Leste)
Atauro Island guides
Recipes 4
Pick a recipe
All Atauro Island recipes
Batar Da'an — traditional dish from Atauro Island, Timor-Leste
Main course Vegetarian

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥320kcal
💪8gProtein
🌾42gCarbs
🥑12gFat
🌿7gFibre
⚖️300 gServing

* Per serving · 300 g. May vary.

Also served in

Batar Da'an

How to order / say it
Say it Batar Da'an — [Buh-tar Daan]
Order I'd like to have Batar Daan, please.
Locally Ha'u hakarak simu Batar Daan.
Say locally

A hearty stew made from corn and mung beans.

Why try it?

Batar Da'an is a beloved dish in Dili that underscores the importance of local agriculture, using staples like corn and beans that nourish families. It highlights the community's reliance on farming.

How it tastes

The stew offers a comforting, earthy flavor with a creamy texture from cooked mung beans, balanced by the sweetness of corn and the rich aroma of coconut milk.

Origin & History — first documented: 1850

Originating in rural Dili regions around the late 19th century, Batar Da'an became a staple with the introduction of mung beans to complement the corn staple. Over decades, it evolved into a common household dish.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🥕 300 g corn kernels
  • 🥕 200 g pumpkin
  • 🫘 150 g kidney beans
  • 🥛 200 ml coconut milk
  • 🧄 1 pc onions
  • 🧂 1 tsp salt

Method

  1. 1 Sauté onions in a pot until soft.
  2. 2 Add pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. 3 Stir in corn, beans, coconut milk, and salt.
  4. 4 Simmer for 20 minutes until thick.
  5. 5 Serve hot.
All Asia recipes — Timor-Leste — Atauro Island — Batar Da'an
keyboard_arrow_up