Recipe
🍰 DESSERT
Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls)
Timorese sweet fritters of grated cassava and fresh coconut bound with brown sugar and a little basil, rolled into balls and fried golden.
Timorese · easy · serves 6
prep 20 min · cook 15 min
~409 cal · 3g protein · 57g carbs · 20g fat · 7g fiber · 22g sugars · 18g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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AI-generated illustration
Babilak ai-luka is a Timor-Leste sweet snack of grated and coconut, two of the country's most dependable garden staples.
The grated is mixed with plenty of fresh grated coconut, sweetened with brown sugar and, in the Timorese way, scented with a little chopped basil, then bound with a spoon of tapioca flour and shaped into small balls.
Fried until golden and crisp outside and soft within, they are handed round as a sweet bite with coffee, a homely treat from the gardens of Timor-Leste.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
1 lb , peeled and finely grated
1.5 cups freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
for frying , for deep-frying
Instructions
1
Mix the grated cassava, grated coconut, brown sugar, tapioca flour, basil and salt together into a stiff, moldable mixture.
2
Squeeze and roll the mixture firmly into small balls, pressing so they hold together.
3
Heat the oil in a deep pan to a medium-high frying heat.
4
Fry the balls in batches, turning, until golden brown all over and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
5
Drain on paper and serve warm.
Timorese cassava sweet, ACIAR Timor-Leste food records.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Dili. Dili is the harbour capital of a young nation, cooking batar daan, corn simmered with beans and pumpkin until thick. Timorese food joins Portuguese and Southeast Asian habits over cassava, coconut, tamarind, and fresh-caught fish.
🗺️
Timor-Leste. Timorese food blends Southeast Asian and Portuguese influences, corn, rice, cassava, and fresh fish, with the smoky stew batar daan. Coffee, tropical fruit, and simple grilled fare define the young nation's table.
🌍
Asia. A grain line runs across the continent. Rice dominates the wet south and east, wheat the drier north and west, and the tools follow it: the wok and the steamer where rice is milled, the tandoor and the griddle where wheat is ground. Tea travels the other way, drunk green, black, salted, buttered or with milk depending how far it got from China.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Timor-Leste
Batar Da'anA humble Timorese stew of corn, mung beans, and pumpkin simmered soft in a light, comforting pot.
Jagung BoseThe Timorese corn staple: dried corn and red beans slow-cooked until creamy in coconut milk, humble everyday nourishment.
Ikan SabukoMackerel marinated in tamarind and lime, then grilled with basil and chili, the fresh coastal favourite of Timor-Leste.
Browse all Timor-Leste recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Fried food is best eaten fresh while crisp. Re-crisp leftovers in a hot oven or air fryer; the microwave makes them soft.
Make it a Timor-Leste meal
Batar Da'anDinner
Kafé TimorDrink
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Frequently asked questions
What is Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls)?
Timorese sweet fritters of grated cassava and fresh coconut bound with brown sugar and a little basil, rolled into balls and fried golden.
Where does Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls) come from?
Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls) is a Timorese dish from Dili, Timor-Leste.
Can Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls) take to make?
About 35 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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