How to Make Ronnie Flex’s Favorite Bami

Rudolph van Veen, Jamie Oliver, Yvette van Boven; eat your heart out. Ronnie Flex turns out to be not only the king of Dutch hip-hop, but also a true kitchen prince. In a video for Jumbo, he shows how he makes his favorite dish: Surinamese bami.

Well… Ronnie explains how it’s done, while Feyenoord player Tonny Vilhena does the work. With plenty of love, that is. Just look at how carefully he places the spaghetti (yes, yes: Surinamese bami is made with spaghetti) in the pan: four sticks first, followed by the entire package.

With surgical precision, the men cut the yardlong beans into 4-centimeter pieces. When chopping the onion, they have apparently already tired of that refinement, because “You won’t taste the shape,” says Mr. Flex. He does have the ultimate tip for chopping onions, though: put on a pair of ski goggles.

It’s clear: we can’t get enough of Warung Ronnie and hope there will be a sequel. Fortunately, in the meantime we can also enjoy the ‘Heroes in the Kitchen‘ cooking videos featuring, among others, Monica Geuze and StukTV, Douwe Bob and Churandy Martina.

The recipe for ‘Flexibami’

1. Cut the yardlong beans into pieces of about 4 centimeters. Finely chop the onion and cut the chicken breast into cubes.

2. Don’t like crunchy vegetables? Boil the yardlong beans for 5 minutes, rinse with cold water and leave to drain.

3. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package and drain. Stir the galangal and a tablespoon of oil through the pasta.

4. Place a frying pan over high heat with the remaining oil and fry the pressed garlic, onion and chicken cubes until browned.

5. Add the tomato purée. Fry for 2 minutes, then add the yardlong beans. A little later, pour 75 milliliters of water into the pan. Mix the kecap manis and Chinese five-spice powder together in a bowl and add to the pan. Stir until it boils, then lower the heat.

6. Toss the spaghetti through the sauce and heat for another 3 to 4 minutes over low heat. Keep tossing so it doesn’t stick to the pan.

7. Divide the bami among 4 plates and serve.

Tip: Fry a pinch of trassi oedang (shrimp paste) with the chicken for extra flavor.