Katupa

Ingredients

Rice

• 800 glong grain rice
• rinsed and drained
• water, for boiling
• 1 teaspoonsalt

Pouches

• young palm leaves
• coconut or lontar
• or 12 muslin bags
• or foil parcels

Sometimes added

• 400 mlcoconut milk
• in place of some water
• 2pandan leaves

To serve

• grilled or stewed meat
• vegetable dishes
• sambal
• at feasts and holidays

Directions

1. Take two long strips of young leaf. Fold each strip over into a loop. Work them around until a pouch forms. Fill them half full and tie them. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
2. Drain the rinsed rice very thoroughly. Some cooks soak it for an hour first. Spoon rice in through that opening. Fill the pouch only about halfway up.
3. Shake it a little to settle the rice. Add salt to the rice as you fill. Put the pouches in a very large pot. Cover them well with plenty of water. Add a good amount of salt to the water.
4. Bring the pot up to a rolling boil. The pouches must stay under the water. Top up with boiling water as it reduces. Boiling them takes several hours.
5. Let it boil steadily for three hours. Some cooks give them a full four hours. Check on it every half hour or so. Judging when they are done takes a test. Lift the pouches out of the water. Hang them or set them on a rack.
6. Let them drain for at least an hour. Draining thoroughly is what makes it keep.
7. Cut the pouch open with a knife. Turn the solid rice block out of it. Cut it into thick slices or cubes. Serve grilled or stewed meat with it. It keeps three days at room temperature.

Technique

• Raw rice half fills the woven pouch and swells as it boils, expanding to fill it completely and compressing against the weave into a dense block far firmer than boiled rice, which holds its shape when cut.
• The pouch must be only half to two thirds filled, since rice roughly doubles; overfilling bursts it open and underfilling gives a loose soft result.
• The pouches travel and keep without a container, which suited journeys and communal meals and feeds a crowd in portions already made; thorough draining after boiling is what makes them keep.

Substitutions

• Muslin bags or foil parcels give the same compression without the leaf flavour.
• Some of the water can be replaced with coconut milk for a richer rice.

Variations

• Ketupat across the Malay world is the same preparation under another name.
• Different regions weave diamonds, squares and triangles.
• It is made for Christmas, Ramadan and feasts alike in Timor-Leste.

History

Rice steamed inside a woven palm-leaf pouch, shared with the wider Malay world and eaten at feasts, Christmas and Ramadan.

Frequently asked questions

What is Katupa?

Katupa is a salad & side from Timor-Leste: rice steamed in woven palm-leaf pouches. Rice steamed inside a woven palm-leaf pouch, shared with the wider Malay world and eaten at feasts, Christmas and Ramadan.

How long does Katupa take to make?

Katupa takes 1 hour plus weaving of preparation and 3 hours of cooking. The recipe makes about 12 pouches. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Katupa?

Yes, within limits. Muslin bags or foil parcels give the same compression without the leaf flavour. Some of the water can be replaced with coconut milk for a richer rice.

What is the most important thing to get right in Katupa?

Bring the pot up to a rolling boil. The pouches must stay under the water. Top up with boiling water as it reduces. Boiling them takes several hours.