Surinamese cooking brings together many different flavors and traditions, and these recipes show a few sides of it. Go for a long-simmered, spiced stew like pepperpot, a plate of roti with masala and potato, or crispy bakabana with spicy peanut sauce. Salted cod, cassava, pickles and sweet baked treats also feature. Each dish has its own techniques and ingredients that make it what it is.
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Side dishQuickly stir-fry yardlong beans with onion, tomato, garlic and chili. A splash of broth helps the beans cook evenly; they stay juicy and retain a slight bite. Delicious with roti or rice.
Main courseBeef slowly cooks in a dark, spiced sauce with cassareep, tomato and Madame Jeanette pepper. Serve this Surinamese pepperpot with rice to soak up the thick, syrupy sauce.
Main courseTender duck legs, potatoes and Surinamese masala make a spiced stew with gravy to scoop up with roti. Yardlong beans add a fresh, satisfying bite.
Side dishSliced on the diagonal, plantains get a thin, golden-brown batter coating while staying soft and sweet inside. Serve them with a spicy peanut sauce with lime and ketjap manis on the side, so everyone can dip as they like.
Side dishGolden-fried cassava with tender salted cod, onion, tomato and pepper: a Surinamese side dish with a lovely contrast of mild, salty and spicy flavors.
Main courseHearty egg noodles, savory chicken and sweet-salty ketjap are the foundation of this Surinamese bami. Briefly frying the ingredients separately keeps the noodles firm and gives each one a chance to develop its flavor.
DessertBroken vermicelli is fried until golden brown, then gently simmered in milk with cardamom, cinnamon and raisins. Toasted almonds give this creamy sawine a crunchy topping just before serving.
DessertFiadoe is a festive Surinamese yeast cake with a soft, rolled interior full of raisins, candied citron and warming spices. A splash of rum adds depth to the filling; after rising and baking gently, the cake slices into distinct, fruity layers.
Main courseMoksi alesi means mixed rice: in this Surinamese version, chicken, salted beef and rice cook together with onion, celery and a splash of coconut milk. The salted beef needs a little preparation, but it gives the rice a deep, savory flavor.
Side dishThin slices of cucumber and red onion get just enough time in a lightly sweetened vinegar mixture to turn pleasantly tangy while staying crisp. Serve this pickle in small portions alongside roti, rice dishes or fried fish.
DessertBojo is a dense Surinamese cake made with grated cassava and coconut. Cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla add fragrance; the top bakes to a golden brown while the center stays moist.
Main courseA sealed pie, baked until golden brown, filled with spiced chicken, carrot, peas and celery. The hearty filling stays juicy, while the pastry turns crisp on top and cooks through nicely underneath.
Main courseThis Surinamese-Javanese saoto features a clear, fragrant chicken broth and a table full of toppings: rice, vermicelli, bean sprouts, egg and crispy potato. Everyone builds their own bowl, from light and fresh to generously filled.
Side dishGolden brown and lightly crisp on the outside, soft inside: this bara gets its flavor from ground split peas, cumin, garlic and fresh herbs. Alongside it is a fresh, spicy chutney made with green mango.
Main courseTender brown beans, salted beef and celery come together in a savoury stew with plenty of sauce to spoon over white rice. Soaking and briefly blanching the salted beef first keeps its flavour full while bringing the saltiness into better balance.
Main courseHeri heri brings together tender cassava, green banana and sweet potato with savory salt cod and a boiled egg. It’s a hearty meal where each ingredient remains distinct; sambal and lime add heat and freshness at the table.
Main courseSalty, spiced salted cod with soft tomato and onion, tender-crisp yardlong beans and mild rice. Allow 8–24 hours to soak the fish in the fridge; the active cooking is simple.
Main courseTender chicken, potatoes that soak up the spiced sauce and yardlong beans with a little bite: served with soft roti to scoop everything up, this is a complete meal. Letting the masala sizzle in oil first gives the stew a rich, warming flavour.
Main courseMoksi meti brings roasted pork and chicken together with fragrant rice, a savory ketjap sauce and tangy cucumber pickle. Roast the meat separately from the rice so the caramelized edges stay intact.
Main courseA golden-brown casserole with spiced chicken tucked between soft layers of pomtayer. Orange and lemon keep the filling fresh, while the top develops a firm, lightly toasted crust in the oven.
Surinamese recipes don’t follow a single, fixed cooking style. This collection includes Surinamese-Hindustani roti with chicken masala and potato and Surinamese-Javanese saoto, alongside dishes such as pepperpot, moksi alesi and pom. Their names and ingredients give each dish its own character; they aren’t interchangeable. Roti, for example, is all about masala, potato, long beans and a roti flatbread for soaking up the stew. Saoto, by contrast, centers on fragrant chicken broth, served with rice, vermicelli and garnishes on the side. Choose according to what you’re in the mood for: a stew to spoon out, a soup everyone assembles at the table, or a meal where the rice and meat cook together.
Cassava features in telo, heri heri and bojo, but each is prepared differently. For telo, the cassava is boiled until tender and then fried until golden brown; in bojo, grated cassava gives the cake its moist, firm texture. These forms aren’t simply interchangeable. Frozen cassava is handy for telo or heri heri; if using precooked products, follow the package instructions and check that they’re cooked through. Salted cod is salt-cured cod. So take the time to desalinate the fish in cold water in the refrigerator, changing the water and tasting it before adding any extra salt. Surinamese masala varies from blend to blend. Fry it briefly over moderate heat to release its aromas without burning the spices. If you can’t find long beans, green beans can be a practical substitute in a dish, though their texture is different.
For a meal with several components, long beans with tomato and onion or pickled cucumber and onion are natural additions: the vegetables retain some bite, while the acidity balances a rich stew or fried fish. Salted cod with long beans and rice is a straightforward choice; heri heri brings cassava, green banana, sweet potato, egg and fish together on one plate. If you’re looking for a dish to serve from a large platter, try chicken pastei, pom with chicken or moksi meti with rice and pickled cucumber. For something sweet, bojo with coconut and cassava, fiadoe with raisins and candied citron, and sawine with cardamom are very different options: firm and moist, risen and spiced, or soft and spoonable, respectively. Bakabana is a warm snack, served with peanut sauce that combines sweet, spicy and pleasantly tart flavors.