Recipe: Surinamese split pea soup by star chef Soenil Bahadoer**
Star chef Soenil Bahadoer of restaurant De Lindehof** is known for his amazing dishes featuring Surinamese and Indian ingredients that come together in an ultimate flavor combination. In his new book Spicy Chef, you’ll find more than 50 challenging but not overly complicated recipes, such as Surinamese split pea soup, showcasing just how fantastically delicious Soenil’s Surinamese-Indian star cuisine is.
“This is the more spirited version of Dutch split pea soup. When I was a child, I used to find this the ultimate comfort food in winter. Especially when you had a cold or the flu, my mother would make this soup and you would eat it sniffling away to regain a little strength. My mother also made Creole bravo soup with plantain, cassava and warm fish. The story goes that this fish is ideal for a little virility. Of course, those men worked long and hard in the fields and then had to regain their strength, because they also had to perform at home. Nandan is a Surinamese brand; you can find Nandan curry masala at the Asian grocery store. Cumin is much more delicious when you buy it in seed form. At home, heat it in a dry frying pan over low heat, shake the pan a few times, and when the cumin is thoroughly warm, grind it into a powder in a coffee grinder. The cumin will then have a more beautiful and richer flavor than when you buy it already ground in a jar.”
How to make Surinamese split pea soup
- Boil the salted meat for 30 minutes in a pan with plenty of water until the meat is tender and the excess salt has been removed.
- Bring 2 liters of water to the boil, add the split peas and then the salted meat, leaf celery, curry masala, allspice berries and a little salt. Cook everything for 40 minutes over low heat. Remove the allspice berries once the peas are tender.
- When the peas begin to fall apart and the soup becomes slightly thicker, add the carrot and celeriac; this way, they retain a little crunch.
- Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package.
- Heat a layer of oil in a pan. Fry the onion, garlic and Madame Jeanette until golden brown, then add this mixture to the soup. Season with pepper, salt and cumin. Serve the soup with the rice.
Title: Spicy Chef
Author: Soenil Bahadoer
Price: €49,99
Publisher: Nijgh & van Ditmar
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