Plate 05 of 10

Bami

Name: Bami
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Suriname
Ingredients: 500 g Spaghetti or thick Chinese egg noodles, boiled firm al dente, rinsed cold, tossed with 1 Tbsp oil; 120 ml Ketjap manis; 30 ml Dark mushroom soy sauce; 6 g Trassi, fermented shrimp paste, toasted dry until crumbly; 4 Shallots, finely minced; 8 cloves Garlic, minced to a paste; 20 g Fresh ginger, finely grated; 30 g Surinamese celery leaves, finely chopped; 3 g Ground allspice; 60 ml Neutral oil; 12 g Fine sea salt; 3 g Freshly ground black pepper; 900 g Bone-in skinless chicken thighs, trimmed; 4 g Five-spice, fennel-free and anise-free, of cinnamon, clove, ginger, black pepper and coriander; 2 Eggs, beaten, fried into a thin omelette, rolled and sliced into ribbons; 1 medium Cucumber, thinly sliced and pickled in cane vinegar, water and sugar

The Javanese-Surinamese noodle plate. Spaghetti or thick egg noodles boiled al dente and rinsed cold, then wok-tossed in a bumbu of shallot, garlic, ginger and toasted trassi with ketjap manis and dark soy until every strand is glossy mahogany, finished with celery leaf and served under sliced five-spice roasted chicken, omelette ribbons and pickled cucumber.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 35 min
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Medium

Researched · Kitchen testing pending

A platter of dark, glossy Surinamese bami noodles tossed with chicken, cabbage and carrot, with sweet-sour pickled cucumber on the side.

Bami is the noodle counterpart to nasi goreng, brought by Javanese immigrants who adapted the Chinese-Indonesian bakmi to the Guianas. Over a century it developed a signature dark gloss and savoury-sweet depth that sets it apart from any Asian stir-fry.

Thick noodles or spaghetti, boiled al dente and rinsed cold, are wok-fried in a bumbu of garlic, ginger, shallot and toasted trassi, bathed in ketjap manis and seasoned with celery leaves. It is never served plain: it comes crowned with sliced five-spice roast chicken, fried egg ribbons and crisp sweet-sour pickled cucumber.

Ingredients

Noodles and sauce
500 gSpaghetti or thick Chinese egg noodles, boiled firm al dente, rinsed cold, tossed with 1 Tbsp oil
120 mlKetjap manisdivided
30 mlDark mushroom soy sauce
6 gTrassi, fermented shrimp paste, toasted dry until crumbly
4Shallots, finely minced
8 clovesGarlic, minced to a pastedivided
20 gFresh ginger, finely grated
30 gSurinamese celery leaves, finely chopped
3 gGround allspice
60 mlNeutral oildivided
12 gFine sea saltdivided
3 gFreshly ground black pepper
Chicken and garnish
900 gBone-in skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
4 gFive-spice, fennel-free and anise-free, of cinnamon, clove, ginger, black pepper and coriander
2Eggs, beaten, fried into a thin omelette, rolled and sliced into ribbons
1 mediumCucumber, thinly sliced and pickled in cane vinegar, water and sugar

Cold, oiled noodles

Rinsing boiled noodles under cold water strips the loose surface starch that would glue them into a clod. A tablespoon of oil then coats each strand so it fries alone in the wok.

Ketjap caramelises

Ketjap manis is up to half palm sugar. Over 180 °C in the wok those sugars caramelise and react with the soy and trassi proteins into the deep mahogany colour and smoky depth. Left unmoved it burns; toss the noodles the moment it bubbles.

Why spaghetti

Twentieth-century Suriname adopted Italian spaghetti because it survives a long toss in heavy sweet soy better than fragile egg noodles.

The five tastes on this plate

Salt is sea salt and dark soy on noodles and chicken. Fat is the oil on the noodles and rendered thigh fat. Acid is the pickled cucumber. Heat is garlic paste, ginger, black pepper and allspice. Umami is toasted trassi, ketjap and roasting juices.

Equipment

14-inch carbon-steel wok or a 12-inch sauté pan with high sides
Roasting pan
Two wooden spatulas
Large pot and colander

A round-bottomed wok over a big flame is the warung tool. A flat-bottomed carbon-steel wok on the largest burner comes close; toss with two spatulas.

Method

Roast the chicken35 min
Heat the oven to 200 °C. Toss the thighs with 30 ml ketjap manis, a tablespoon of oil, two minced garlic cloves, the five-spice, half a teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Roast 30 to 35 minutes until browned and caramelised, 74 °C inside. Slice into strips and keep the pan juices.
Heat oven to 200 °C. Coat thighs with 30 ml ketjap, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, five-spice, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Roast 30–35 minutes until caramelised and 74 °C inside. Slice into strips; reserve juices.
Parboil the noodles10 min
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water one minute short of the packet time. Drain and rinse under cold running water until fully chilled. Toss with a tablespoon of oil.
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water one minute short of the packet time. Drain and rinse under cold running water until fully chilled. Toss with a tablespoon of oil.
Toast the trassi2 min
In the dry wok over medium-low, toast the trassi 1 to 2 minutes until dry, crumbly and aromatic. Remove and crush.
In the dry wok over medium-low, toast the trassi 1 to 2 minutes until dry, crumbly and aromatic. Remove and crush.
Fry the omelette3 min
Heat a teaspoon of oil in the wok, pour in the beaten eggs to a thin sheet, cook a minute a side, roll and slice into ribbons.
Heat a teaspoon of oil in the wok, pour in the beaten eggs to a thin sheet, cook a minute a side, roll and slice into ribbons.
Stir-fry the bumbu2 min
Heat 30 ml oil over medium-high. Add the shallots, the remaining garlic, the ginger and the toasted trassi and sauté hard 2 minutes until fragrant.
Heat 30 ml oil over medium-high. Add the shallots, the remaining garlic, the ginger and the toasted trassi and sauté hard 2 minutes until fragrant.
Bubble the sauce1 min
Stir in 90 ml ketjap manis, the dark soy, allspice, a teaspoon of salt, black pepper and three tablespoons of the roasting juices. Bring to a rapid, glossy boil for 30 seconds.
Stir in 90 ml ketjap manis, the dark soy, allspice, a teaspoon of salt, black pepper and three tablespoons of the roasting juices. Bring to a rapid, glossy boil for 30 seconds.
Toss the noodles5 min
Add the cold noodles, turn the heat to high, and toss continuously with two spatulas 4 to 5 minutes, lifting and turning, until every strand is coated dark and heated through.
Add the cold noodles, turn the heat to high, and toss continuously with two spatulas 4 to 5 minutes, lifting and turning, until every strand is coated dark and heated through.
Finish and serve
Scatter the celery leaves over and toss 30 seconds until they wilt. Pile onto platters, top with the sliced chicken and egg ribbons, and serve with the pickled cucumber and sambal.
Scatter the celery leaves over and toss 30 seconds until they wilt. Pile onto platters, top with the sliced chicken and egg ribbons, and serve with the pickled cucumber and sambal.
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Sensory cues of doneness
- Visual: glossy, uniformly dark mahogany noodles flecked with green celery leaf, beside golden roast chicken with charred edges and crisp egg ribbons.
- Auditory: a violent, rhythmic sizzle and pop as the noodles hit the wok walls.
- Olfactory: caramelised palm sugar, pungent toasted trassi, ginger, garlic and roasting spice.
Look for uniformly glossy mahogany noodles with green celery leaves, caramelised roast chicken and egg ribbons. Expect rhythmic sizzling as noodles hit the wok, with palm-sugar, toasted trassi, ginger, garlic and roast-spice aromas.

Troubleshooting

Sticky, clumped noodles.: Overcooked, or not rinsed cold at once. Boil al dente, rinse until cold to the touch, and oil before the wok.
Pale, watery bami.: Light soy stood in for ketjap manis and dark soy. Only real ketjap has the viscosity and palm sugar.
Burnt, bitter sugar.: The ketjap sat in the hot wok unattended. Add the noodles the moment it bubbles and keep tossing.

Substitutions

One-to-one swaps, with the technique change each one needs.

Ingredient substitutions

Ingredient	Replace with	Culinary impact and technique adjustment
Ketjap manis	Kecap Manis Bango, or dark soy simmered with brown palm sugar	One-to-one
Surinamese celery leaves	Tender inner celery leaves or flat-leaf parsley	One-to-one
Trassi	Thai shrimp paste, or 1 Tbsp fish sauce; 1 Tbsp red miso for a shellfish allergy	One-to-one

Scaling

Half

Halve everything; it tosses easily in a 12-inch skillet.

Double

Never a kilo of noodles in one home wok. Stir-fry in two sequential batches.

What to serve it with

Zuurgoed of cucumber and red onion in spiced cane vinegar
The sliced five-spice roast chicken on top
Kroepoek, cassava or shrimp crackers

Questions

Why spaghetti?

It holds up to a long toss in heavy sweet soy; delicate Asian egg noodles break.

Can I leave out the trassi?

It is the foundational umami of Javanese-Surinamese cooking. For a shellfish allergy, use a tablespoon of red miso or mushroom soy.

How do I make the pickled cucumber?

Slice a cucumber thin. Dissolve 2 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in ½ cup white vinegar and ¼ cup water with four allspice berries and submerge the slices at least 30 minutes.