Imagine embarking on a culinary adventure through the vibrant flavors of Surinamese cuisine. From spicy chutneys to hearty stews, Surinamese cooking is a delightful fusion of African, Indian, Indonesian, and Dutch influences. Whether you’re a seasoned chef looking to expand your repertoire or a beginner eager to explore new tastes, this article is your gateway to the most popular Surinamese cuisine recipes. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds and impress your friends with dishes that showcase the rich cultural heritage of Surinam.
Roti
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the vegetable oil and warm water to the bowl.
- Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and shape them into balls.
- Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat.
- Roll out each dough ball into a thin, round roti.
- Cook the roti on the hot pan for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown spots appear.
- Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Serve the roti warm with your favorite Surinamese curry or filling.
Pom
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
- 4 cups grated pomtajer (taro root)
- 1 cup diced smoked chicken or beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup prunes
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onion, bell pepper, and tomato until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the smoked chicken or beef, raisins, prunes, ketchup, brown sugar, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, nutmeg, and cloves to the skillet.
- Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Add the grated pomtajer to the skillet and mix everything together.
- Place the browned chicken thighs on top of the pom mixture.
- Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the pom is cooked through and the chicken is tender.
- Remove the foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes to crisp up the chicken skin.
- Serve the pom hot with white rice or roti.
Moksi Meti
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into small pieces
- 1 pound chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, brown sugar, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Add the pork belly and chicken pieces to the bowl, making sure they are coated in the marinade.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Remove the pork belly and chicken pieces from the marinade, reserving the marinade for later.
- Sear the pork belly and chicken pieces in the hot skillet for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onion, bell pepper, and tomato until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Return the pork belly and chicken pieces to the skillet.
- Pour the reserved marinade over the meat and vegetables.
- Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender and cooked through.
- Serve the moksi meti hot with rice or noodles.
Bami
Ingredients
- 1 pound egg noodles
- 1/2 pound boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup diced cabbage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Cook the egg noodles according to the package instructions.
- Drain the cooked noodles and set aside.
- In a large wok or skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat.
- Add the chicken thighs to the wok and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
- In the same wok, add the shrimp and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until pink and cooked through.
- Remove the shrimp from the wok and set aside.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, and garlic to the wok.
- Stir-fry the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they are tender-crisp.
- Return the cooked chicken and shrimp to the wok.
- Add the cooked noodles, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet soy sauce, black pepper, salt, and turmeric to the wok.
- Stir-fry everything together for about 3 minutes, until the noodles are heated through and evenly coated in the sauce.
- Serve the bami hot as a main dish or side dish.
Saoto Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 1 pound bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup shredded chicken breast
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 8 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the chicken wings and chicken broth to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, until the chicken wings are cooked through and tender.
- Remove the chicken wings from the broth and set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, shred the chicken meat from the wings and set aside.
- In a separate pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Add the yellow onion, celery, green onion, and garlic to the pot.
- Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they are softened.
- Add the soy sauce, lime juice, ground coriander, turmeric, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, and cloves to the pot.
- Stir everything together to combine the flavors.
- Slowly pour the chicken broth into the pot, stirring well.
- Add the shredded chicken meat and bean sprouts to the pot.
- Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes, until the flavors have melded together.
- Serve the saoto soup hot with steamed rice and garnish with fried onions, boiled eggs, and crispy fried noodles.
Bara
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow split peas, soaked overnight and drained
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, grind the soaked and drained yellow split peas until smooth.
- Transfer the ground split peas to a large bowl.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, green onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric, curry powder, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper to the bowl.
- Mix everything together until well combined and the mixture forms a thick batter.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep saucepan or fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the bara for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the fried bara from the oil and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve the bara hot with your favorite chutney or dipping sauce.
Bojo
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated cassava
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 1 cup grated sweet potato
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the grated cassava, grated coconut, grated sweet potato, raisins, chopped almonds, sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Mix everything together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy.
- Add the beaten eggs to the cassava mixture and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Smooth the top of the mixture with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, until the bojo is set and golden brown on top.
- Remove the bojo from the oven and let it cool before slicing into squares or rectangles.
- Serve the bojo at room temperature as a sweet treat or dessert.
Bakabana
Ingredients
- 4 ripe plantains
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Peel the plantains and cut them into 2-inch chunks.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, milk, water, ground cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep saucepan or fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Dip each plantain chunk into the batter, coating it evenly.
- Carefully drop the battered plantain chunks into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the bakabana for about 4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the fried bakabana from the oil and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Repeat with the remaining plantain chunks.
- Serve the bakabana hot as a sweet snack or dessert.
Pinda Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup diced potato
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the chicken thighs and chicken broth to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the chicken thighs are cooked through and tender.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, remove the meat from the chicken thighs and shred it.
- In a separate pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, potato, tomato, cilantro, and garlic to the pot.
- Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they are softened.
- Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, tomato paste, lime juice, cumin, salt, black pepper, turmeric, coriander, nutmeg, and cloves to the pot.
- Stir everything together to combine the flavors.
- Slowly pour the chicken broth into the pot, stirring well.
- Add the shredded chicken meat to the pot.
- Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes, until the flavors have melded together and the vegetables are tender.
- Serve the pinda soup hot with steamed rice or roti.
Surinamese Peanut Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, vegetable oil, tomato paste, brown sugar, cumin, salt, black pepper, turmeric, coriander, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss them in the marinade until well coated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, reserving the marinade for later.
- Place the chicken thighs on the grill and cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side, until cooked through and charred in spots.
- While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the marinade for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and brush it with the thickened marinade.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish the peanut chicken with chopped cilantro.
- Serve the Surinamese peanut chicken hot with rice or roti.
With this comprehensive article, you now have a guide to the most popular Surinamese cuisine recipes for beginners. From the well-loved roti to the flavorful pinda soup, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Step into the world of Surinamese cuisine and explore these delicious recipes that will surely impress your taste buds.