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Javaanse Bami

Javaanse Bami is a traditional Surinamese recipe for a classic dish of noodles (or spaghetti) in a light sauce with prawns served as an accompaniment or part of a larger stir-fry dish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Surinamese version of: Javaanse Bami.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

15 minutes

Total Time:

35 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : Spice RecipesSuriname Recipes

Another name for this dish is 'Bami Goreng' which is simply Indonesian for stir-fried noodles. This is the base recipe, just for the pasta. The salam leaves called for in the recipe are the leaves of Syzygium polyanthum, with common names Indonesian bay leaf or daun salam,[2] is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae, native to Indonesia, Indochina and Malaysia. The leaves of the plant are traditionally used as a food flavouring. The leaves may be used dried or fresh in the cuisine of Sumatra, Java, Madura, or Bali as well as Suriname. It is an ingredient in dishes such as sayur lodeh and nasi gurih. In Suriname it is known as 'salam blad' and widely used in Javanese cuisine, mainly in dishes such as soto soup and various stews. Unfortunately, due to its unique flavour it is not possible to find suitable substitutes for it

Ingredients:

200g bami or spaghetti (cooked until al dente)
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp celery or parsley leaves
1 bouillon cube
2 salam leaves (omit if not available)
1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in a small bowl with water
3 tbsp oil
1-2 tbsp dark soy sauce

Method:

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and use to cook the bami, following the packet instructions, until al dente

Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water then toss with some oil to prevent it from sticking.

Place a wok or deep frying pan over medium heat. Once hot use to fry the onion for a few minutes, then add the garlic, black pepper, salam leaves, bouillon cube, half of the celery, soy sauce, and the soaked dried prawns (drain). Quickly stir fry, before adding the noodles.

Using large forks, turn the bami over, then add more soy sauce for an even light brown colour then turn the mixture over again. Taste the bami to make sure it has enough salt and add more salt or soy sauce if necessary.

Add black pepper for more of a 'kick' if desired. Sprinkle the remainder of the celery or parsley leaves over the bami, turn over one more time before taking off the heat.

Serve the bami with Javanese Chicken, pickled cucumbers and some Javanese hot sauce.