For about 40% of the population of Surinam the ancestors
came from
India. Of course that has a great effect on the Surinamese
kitchen. I adapt two recipes for you. Both take no more than
about half an hour in preparation.
A weekday meal can be: brown rice, these two vegetables and
cucumber and tomato
Curry potatoes and butter beans
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
1 onion, cut in small pieces
garlic as much as you like (the recipe asks two
gloves)
1 tomato, cut in small pieces
curry powder
1 bouillon cube
1 pound of potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes (not too
big, small cubes take less time to get done)
1 hot pepper
salt (optional)
black pepper
1/2 pound butter beans, cut in pieces from about a phalanx
1. Heat the pot, add the cummin seeds, let them pop, add
and simmer the onion, add the garlic after a few minutes
2. Add currie powder, cut tomatoe and bouillon cube,
simmer, stir, add some water as necessary
3. Add the patatoe cubes, simmer and stir a few minutes.
Add half a cup of water, stir one more time, add the hot
pepper and put a lid on the pot. Let simmer for about 10
minutes. Look one or two times if the pataotoes need some
more water. (In the end the patatoes should have taken
nearly all the liquid)
4. Steam (or cook) meanwhile the cut butter beans half
done. (I prefer steaming: it takes less time and the
vegetables keep more of its own taste)
5. If the patatoes are nearly done (after about 10
minutes if you have cut them small), add the butter beans.
Add some more water if necessary. Let simmer another five
minutes.
6. Taste and add black pepper.
7. Cut the pepper in small pieces (with fork and knife)
and take the seeds away
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Indian pumpkin
1 onion
garlic (optional)
1 bouillon cube
a small amount curry
black pepper
pumpkin, cut in cubes
1 Simmer the onion, add after a few minutes the garlic,
the curry powder and the bouillon cube
2 Add the pumpkin cubes, stirr and put after a few the
lid on the pot. Add after a few minutes some water. Again:
in the end hardly any liquid should be left.
3 Cook the pumpkin till done. Stir heaviy. I prefer a
saucelike dish with still recognizable pumkin cubes in it,
but lits of people here stit till it is a puree.
Myrna Laret
Paramaribo, Surinam
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