How to make the ultimate baka bana
Crunchy, soft, sweet, savory and spicy, all at once: baka bana is one of my favorite Surinamese snacks. Delicious au naturel but even better with peanut sauce. I usually get it at the toko, but how do you actually make it yourself? I asked none other than star chef Soenil Bahadoer.
Soenil, chef of restaurant De Lindehof, is a master of Surinamese cuisine. He proved that to us earlier with his Bara’s by Bahadoer, so he seemed like the perfect person to ask about the tricks for making the ultimate baka bana.
Favorite snack
And what do you know? It’s a favorite of his too. “When I think of baka bana, I think of conviviality. When baka bana appears on the table at a party, everyone is happy. I sometimes make them at the restaurant; while frying them, we already eat them. I also sometimes eat them on the couch with my children. It’s definitely one of my favorite snacks,” Soenil says.
Crispy
“A good baka bana should be rich in flavor, with a crispy crust on the outside and soft, sweet plantain on the inside. And then you eat it with peanut sauce.”
Golden brown
And how do you make it yourself at home? “You use a ripe plantain. When the plantain’s skin is almost black, you know that the plantain is beautifully ripe. Cut it lengthwise into slices. Make a batter with flour and egg white; that’s how I learned it from my mother. Dip the plantain in the batter. Then fry the baka bana in a pan with a layer of sunflower oil. Is the outside golden brown? Then it’s ready and you can take it out.”
Serve the baka bana with peanut sauce, and dig in.
