Tiyula itum

Tiyula itum is a Tausug beef soup darkened with burnt coconut. Diana Maulana’s recipe coats cubed beef with powdered burnt coconut, ginger and turmeric before cooking. Onion and garlic are sautéed separately, then joined by lemongrass and the marinated beef.^[1]

The covered meat first releases its own juices. Once these dry up, water is added to cover the beef, followed by chilies as it boils. The soup then simmers until the meat softens. Maulana, a Tausug cook raised in Basilan, learned dishes from her mother and grandmother and describes tiyula itum as part of family celebrations.^[1]