Tinutuan
A thick Manado rice porridge loaded with pumpkin, corn and leafy greens, served with sambal and salted fish. Vegetable-forward comfort food.
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 40 min
- total
- 1 h
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Tinutuan, often called Manado porridge, flips the usual ratio of a rice porridge: pumpkin, sweet potato, corn and leafy greens genuinely outnumber the rice, which ends up as more of a thickener than the main event.
It is comfort food in North Sulawesi, eaten any time of day, and the sambal and salted fish on the side are what give an otherwise mild, vegetable-forward bowl its real kick.
Part of our 20 best Indonesian recipes list.
method
Put the rice, water and lemongrass in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, stirring occasionally so the rice does not catch on the bottom.
Simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice starts to break down and the mixture thickens slightly.
Add the pumpkin and sweet potato, and continue simmering for 15 to 20 minutes, mashing some of the pieces against the side of the pot as they soften, until the porridge is thick and the vegetables are falling apart.
Add the corn and cook for 5 more minutes.
Stir in the chopped greens in the last 2 to 3 minutes, just until wilted. Season with salt.
Remove the lemongrass. Serve hot with sambal roa and a piece of fried salted fish on the side.
chef's tips
- This is deliberately vegetable-heavy, not a plain rice porridge with a few things stirred in. The rice is almost a minor ingredient compared to the pumpkin, corn and greens.
- Mashing some of the pumpkin and sweet potato into the porridge as it cooks is what gives tinutuan its characteristic thick, hearty texture.
- Sambal roa, made with smoked fish, is the traditional Manado condiment here. A good regular sambal is a reasonable substitute if you cannot find it.
- This is traditionally a breakfast dish in Manado, though it works well at any meal.