Baka Bana

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3large ripe plantains (skin should be mostly black)
• 500 mlvegetable oil, for frying
• 4 tbspnatural peanut butter (smooth)
• 2 tbspketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
• 1 tbspsambal oelek (chilli paste)
• 1 clovegarlic, grated
• 3 tbspwarm water
• 1 tspfresh lime juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the peanut sauce

   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.

2. 2

   Slice the plantains

   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.

3. 3

   Heat the oil

   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.

4. 4

   Fry the plantain

   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.

5. 5

   Serve immediately

   Arrange the Baka Bana on a serving plate and place the peanut-sambal dipping sauce alongside. Serve hot.

Variations

• •

  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.

Storage

Baka Bana is best eaten immediately after frying. The peanut sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions