Recipe: how to make authentic Surinamese BBR (brown beans with rice)
I’m crazy about Surinamese cuisine. A pan full of BBR like that—stop me! The combination of salted meat, chicken and beans in a simmering soup: un-be-liev-able. My girlfriend makes the best, and I managed to get her recipe for a real, authentic BBR. Preferably with yardlong beans on the side, though you can leave those out if you prefer.
How to make Surinamese BBR
- Boil the salted meat (available from a Surinamese shop) to remove excess salt, then cut it into pieces.
- Heat a heavy-based pan, melt the margarine in it and sauté the onion, garlic and chili pepper until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and fry the mixture for another minute.
- Remove the skin from the drumsticks and take the meat off the bone.
- Add the meat and chicken and stir them through the onion mixture.
- Once the meat has browned, add the brown beans with their soaking water and the stock cube. You can also use drained brown beans from a jar or can if you find that easier. Stir everything well.
- Bring everything to a boil, then let it simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans and meat are tender.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper and sprinkle the celery over it at the end. Serve with rice (prepared according to the instructions on the package) and, optionally, the yardlong beans.
How to make Surinamese yardlong beans
Clean the yardlong beans and cut them into pieces. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter (I really use a generous amount of butter) until golden brown, then add the Maggi stock cubes. Add the yardlong beans and stir-fry them over high heat for 7–10 minutes. The yardlong beans should remain really crisp. Season with black pepper.
Song to listen to while cooking
Especially while cooking your pan of BBR, play this Surinamese song, which celebrates this dish.
Also read:
