Timorese food · Side
Katupa
Rice cooked with coconut and turmeric inside small woven palm-leaf parcels.
Last verified: Checked against a Timorese cookbook and published food sources
By David
Quick answer · as of October 2026
Katupa is rice cooked inside small parcels woven from young coconut palm leaves. In the Timorese version the rice is first soaked in coconut milk and turmeric with garlic and onion, so it comes out golden and fragrant. It is cheap, sold at markets and roadside stalls, and is the usual partner for grilled fish.
- Type
- Side
- Origin
- Timorese, related to Indonesian ketupat
- Vegetarian
- Vegetarian
- Also called
- ketupat
On this page
What is Katupa?
Katupa is closely related to Indonesian ketupat, but Timorese cooks often flavour the rice with grated coconut, turmeric, garlic, onion, salt and pepper before it goes into the parcels. Because the parcels are woven tight and the rice swells as it cooks, katupa comes out as a firm, sliceable cake.
It is everywhere: Dili's markets and street stalls, fish stalls on the coast road, and family celebrations. A Portuguese-language Dili food guide describes it as very cheap and popular at street stalls, markets and restaurants.
How it is made
- Young coconut palm leaves are woven into small empty pouches.
- Rice is mixed with the liquid squeezed from grated coconut and turmeric, plus garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
- Each pouch is half-filled and woven shut, leaving room for the rice to swell.
- The parcels are boiled for 40 minutes to an hour, then cooled and cut open to eat.
Where to try it
You will find katupa at markets, street stalls and fish stalls across the country, usually sold in bunches next to grilled fish. In Dili, try it with fish at the waterfront stalls in the evening.
See all restaurants and cafés in Timor-Leste.
Tips
- Eat it with your hands: peel back the leaves and break off pieces of rice to eat with fish and chilli.
More Timorese dishes
Street food
Ikan tunu (grilled fish)
Also: grilled fish, barbecued fish
Whole fish grilled over coals with a chilli, garlic and turmeric baste, sold at roadside and beach stalls.
Contains meat or fish
Relish
Ai-manas (chilli pickle)
Also: aimanas, aimanas budu, ai manas
Crushed chilli with salt, garlic and lime or bilimbi: the table sauce served with almost everything.
Vegetarian
Main dish
Batar da'an
Also: batar daan
Corn, mung beans and pumpkin stewed together: Timor-Leste's everyday comfort food.
Vegetarian
Frequently asked questions
Is katupa the same as ketupat?
They are close relatives. Both are rice cooked in woven palm-leaf pouches; the Timorese version is often cooked with coconut and turmeric.
Sources
Official sites, operators and references we checked for this page.
Related guides
Food
Timorese Food: Dishes to Try in Timor-Leste
What to eat in Timor-Leste: batar da'an, ikan saboko, grilled fish with katupa, tukir, ai-manas, coffee and palm wine, with where to try each one.
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