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Baka Bana
Golden Surinamese fried ripe plantain served with a punchy peanut-sambal dipping sauce.
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
4.8
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Golden Surinamese fried ripe plantain served with a punchy peanut-sambal dipping sauce.
Baka Bana — literally 'baked banana' in Surinamese Creole — are crisp-edged, caramelised slices of ripe plantain, deep-fried to sweet golden perfection and served with a distinctive Surinamese peanut-sambal sauce. They are the beloved side dish or snack that accompanies almost every meal, from Moksi Alesi to grilled fish. The sauce, a blend of smooth peanut butter, sambal oelek (chilli paste), garlic, and sweet ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce), is a mark of Suriname's extraordinary multicultural food heritage, where African, South Asian, Javanese, and Creole influences meet in one bowl.
Serves 4
Whisk together peanut butter, ketjap manis, sambal oelek, garlic, lime juice, and warm water until smooth. Adjust consistency with more water if needed. Set aside.
Peel the ripe plantains and cut on a diagonal into slices about 1.5 cm thick. The riper the plantain, the sweeter and softer the result.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or wok to 175 °C (350 °F). The oil should be deep enough to at least half-submerge the plantain slices.
Working in batches, fry the plantain slices for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and caramelised on the edges. Do not crowd the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Arrange the Baka Bana on a serving plate and place the peanut-sambal dipping sauce alongside. Serve hot.
Use very ripe plantains (skin mostly black) for maximum sweetness and caramelisation.
Do not refrigerate ripe plantains — they will turn grey. Keep at room temperature.
The peanut-sambal sauce can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge.
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Grill instead of fry: brush slices with oil and grill on a hot griddle for a lighter version.
Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds to the sauce for extra nuttiness.
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.
Baka Bana is best eaten immediately after frying. The peanut sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Baka Bana is a cornerstone of Surinamese street food and home cooking, blending the African tradition of cooking plantain with the Javanese sambal and Chinese ketjap manis that arrived with successive waves of immigrants. The combination perfectly illustrates Suriname's unique cultural mosaic.
Mix 1 tablespoon of regular soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and a tiny splash of molasses as a substitute.
Yes — brush plantain slices with oil and bake at 200 °C for 15–18 minutes, flipping halfway. They won't be as crisp but are still delicious.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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