World Travels - Suriname

 

I have been a little addicted to the YouTube channel Geography Now recently… getting to know little known countries of the world and getting a real picture of what they are like. One of the places that Geography Now took me to was Suriname (watch this excellent film about Suriname to get a snapshot of the country.)

I was intrigued to understand the rich history of the former Dutch plantation colony in South America and how it informed the cuisine. That mixture of different cultures that includes India, Africa, Indonesia, China and of course the Netherlands makes for an intriguing melange of recipes.

The dark history of enslavement rears its ugly head with an estimated total of 220,000 enslaved Africans working the plantations of what was then Dutch Guiana on farms of coffee, cocoa and sugar[1]. Slavery was officially abolished in Suriname on July 1, 1863 by the Emancipation Act. 32,911 slaves were released but still had to work under contract for 10 years. After the Emancipation Act the Dutch brought in many Indonesian and East Indian people as indentured workers to work the plantations in much the same way the British brought in people from India when the slaves of Trinidad and Tobago were freed. These indentured workers made their favourite dishes with locally available ingredients and gradually blended with African, European and Indigenous recipes.  Thus you get curry, roti, and satay sauces introduced. There are even influences from Jewish settlers from the 17th century.  They all go to make up this rich culinary mix that makes Surinamese cuisine what it is today. 

Bruine Bonen

Bruine Bonen, or brown beans, is a hearty dish that reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage. It is made with tender brown beans stewed with meat and accompanied with vegetables and rice.  It belies its influences from Africa, the Netherlands and India. Usually the dish involves salt beef, chicken and smoked pork sausage so to veganise it I used smoked tofu and lion's mane mushrooms which I marinaded to get a more umami flavour.

Ingredients

(Serves 4-6)

  • 90g lion’s mane mushrooms - cut into cubes
  • 90g super firm smoked tofu - cut in small cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 cups of rice
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic sliced
  • Can of pinto beans (400g drained)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable stock
  • 2 tsp allspice but use 5 allspice berries if you have them
  • 2 tsp black pepper 
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Whole chilli pepper
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • Oil for cooking (use coconut oil if you have it but I used sunflower oil)

Instructions

1. First of all prepare the marinade by combining the olive oil, tamari, vegan Worcestershire sauce and onion powder and add your mushrooms and smoked tofu and leave for at least 10 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan fry the sliced onion in a little oil and after about 5 minutes add the garlic.  Fry for another minute. 
3. Add the marinaded mushroom and tofu and fry for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the spices of allspice, cayenne pepper, onion powder, black pepper and bay leave and ensure the mushroom and tofu are coated with the spices.
5.  Add the drained can of pinto beans and then the can of coconut milk with the whole chilli pepper and leave to cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Cook the rice separately (I just boiled the rice in 4 cups of water and a little salt for about 10 minutes or until the water has evaporated).
7. Serve the rice and bruine bonen together in a bowl with fried plantain, stir fried green beans and beansprouts and a satay sauce.


Dutch Satay Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup candlenuts, ground finely in a food processor
  • 1/4-inch fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 3 tablespoons kecap manis, or soy sauce/tamari
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 makrut lime leaves
  • 1 tablespoon sambal, or chilli paste

Instructions

  1. Fry onion in oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Once onion has softened and browned slightly, add peanut butter, ground candlenuts, ginger, and garlic.
  3. Bruise lemongrass by laying it on a cutting board and hitting it a few times with the bottom of a handle of a knife or the blunt side of the knife.
  4. Add kecap manis or soy sauce, coconut milk, lemongrass, and the lime leaves, then bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the sambal and taste for seasoning.
  6. If sauce has thickened too much at this point, add some warm water. 
  7. Discard lemongrass and lime leaves, then give sauce a quick whisk before serving. My ended up being quite thick and could have had some more water to get to the correct consistency.


Fried Plantain

Ingredients

  • 2 green plantain
  • Neutral oil to fry the plantain (I used sunflower oil)


Instructions

1. In a large frying pan add some cooking oil and heat up.
2. Slice the plantain diagonally into large slices.
3. Fry the slices for about 5 minutes on each side keeping the heat to medium and not too high or else you will burn the plantain.  

Stir-Fried Vegetables with Satay Sauce



Ingredients

  • Good handful of green beans snipping off the stalk
  • Good handful of bean sprouts (rinse before you use)
  • Neutral oil for cooking

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok to a fairly high heat.
2. Add the green beans and bean sprouts and flash fry for about 2 minutes.
3. Serve the green beans and bean sprouts in a bowl and place a dollop of the satay sauce on top.



Conjunto Latinos - Groentoe Botto

[1] - Wikipedia on Afro-Surinamese - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-Surinamese

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