Asia → Timor-Leste → Dili
🥔 SIDE
Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa)
A fresh, sharp relish of chopped tomato, red onion and mint dressed with lime juice and salt, spooned over grilled fish, corn and rice.
Timorese · easy · serves 4
prep 15 min · cook 0 min
~40 cal · 2g protein · 10g carbs · 0g fat · 2g fiber · 5g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Budu is the fresh relish of the Timorese table: tomato, mint, lime and red onion, chopped and mixed just before the meal. It is served with grilled fish such as ikan sabuko, with batar da'an, the stew of corn, mung beans and pumpkin, and with rice, and its sharpness lifts plain, starchy food.
The name covers more than one thing. Some descriptions of Timorese food use budu for a anchovy sauce sharpened with calamansi and chilies, sometimes with tomato and mint added, and the Kelantanese of the same name in Malaysia is a different product again. The version given here is the fresh tomato, mint and lime relish.
Many Timorese cooks also keep a jar of ai manas, a fiery chili paste, on the table, so heat can be added to taste.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, nut-, 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 4
- 3 medium (about 400 g) ripe tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 small bunch (about 15 g) fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 2 limes lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- 1Dice the tomatoes finely, keeping their juice, and put them in a bowl.
- 2Add the red onion and mint.
- 3Squeeze over the lime juice, add the salt and stir well. Leave it for 5 to 10 minutes so the onion softens a little in the lime.
- 4Taste for salt and lime and serve at once, spooned over grilled fish, rice or batar da'an.✎ Chef’s noteMake it close to the meal. The mint darkens and the tomato turns watery if it sits for long.
Timorese home tradition.
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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. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
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: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Timor-Leste meal
Kafé TimorDrink
Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls)Dessert
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa)?
A fresh, sharp relish of chopped tomato, red onion and mint dressed with lime juice and salt, spooned over grilled fish, corn and rice.
Where does Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa) come from?
Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa) is a Timorese dish from Dili, Timor-Leste.
Can Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa) 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 still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), 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 Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa) take to make?
About 15 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 0 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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