Baka bana with peanut sambal
Fried plantain with peanut sauce and Madame Jeanette chilli is a combination that may sound strange at first, but makes perfect sense. The plantain is fried until golden and lightly caramelised, then served with a creamy, savoury peanut sauce. Sweet plantain and the rich flavour of peanuts work surprisingly well together. Then there is the Madame Jeanette: small but seriously hot, so everyone can decide how much to add. The result brings sweet, salty and spicy flavours together on one plate, typical Surinamese street food that is easy to make at home. Serve the baka bana as soon as it is cooked, because it is best while still hot and crisp. The peanut sauce can be made in advance. Definitely worth trying if you enjoy bold flavours.
Equipment
1 deep-fat fryer or deep saucepan
1 stick blender or food processor
Servings people
Ingredients
Baka bana
- 3 plantains (ripe, with mostly black skins)
- 150 g plain flour
- 50 g cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 250 ml sparkling water (ice-cold)
- 750 ml sunflower oil (for deep-frying)
Peanut sambal
- 150 g peanuts (unsalted and roasted)
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tomato (ripe)
- 0.5 madame Jeanette chilli (remove the seeds for less heat)
- 1 tbsp ketjap manis
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp soft brown sugar
- 175 ml water
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
Instructions
Preparation
- Peel 3 plantains and cut diagonally into long slices about 1 cm thick. Finely chop 1 shallot and 2 cloves garlic, dice 1 tomato and very finely chop 0.5 madame Jeanette chilli. Wear gloves if needed and avoid touching your face.
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a saucepan. Fry the shallot for three minutes, then cook the garlic, tomato and chilli for another five. Coarsely blend 150 g peanuts with 175 ml water, 1 tbsp ketjap manis, 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 tsp soft brown sugar.
- Stir the peanut mixture into the saucepan and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if the sambal becomes too thick. It should be robust but still soft enough for dipping. Taste carefully, cover and keep warm.
- Just before frying, mix 150 g plain flour, 50 g cornflour, 1 tsp baking powder and 0.5 tsp salt. Briefly whisk in 250 ml sparkling water. A few small lumps are fine, as overmixing makes the batter heavy.
- Heat 750 ml sunflower oil to 170°C. Dip the plantain slices into the batter one at a time and fry in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on a rack or kitchen paper.
To serve
- Serve the baka bana immediately while the batter is still crisp. Put the warm peanut sambal in a separate bowl so everyone can dip their own.
Notes
Use genuinely ripe plantains. Yellow skins covered in black patches give a soft, sweet centre while the batter stays crisp. The peanut sambal can be made a day ahead and gently reheated with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Calories: 831kcalCarbohydrates: 94.1gProtein: 15.5gFat: 46.8gSaturated fat: 6.6gSugars: 28.6g
Tried this recipe?Let me know what you think!
