Heri Heri

Name: Heri Heri
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Surinamese
Ingredients: 300g salt cod, soaked overnight; 2 cassava roots, peeled and chunked; 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked; 2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced; 200g taro, peeled and chunked; 2 onions, sliced; 3 tomatoes, diced; 1 Madame Jeanette pepper, minced; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; Salt and pepper

Heri Heri (HEH-ree HEH-ree)

Boiled Root Vegetables with Salt Fish

⏱ Prep Time 45 min

📈 Difficulty Easy

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 434 kcal

A traditional Maroon dish of boiled cassava, sweet potato, plantain, and taro served with salted cod and a spicy tomato-onion sauce.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 24.0g

Carbs 62.0g

Fat 10.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ fish

Equipment Needed

large pot skillet colander

Presentation Guide

Vessel: large flat platter

Garnishes: hot pepper sauce

Accompaniments: pepper sauce, fresh lime

Ingredients

300g salt cod, soaked overnight
2 cassava roots, peeled and chunked
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced
200g taro, peeled and chunked
2 onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
1 Madame Jeanette pepper, minced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1
Soak salt cod overnight, changing water twice. Boil until flaky, about twenty minutes. Drain and flake into pieces.
2
Boil cassava, sweet potato, taro, and plantain in salted water until tender, about twenty-five minutes. Drain well.
3
Heat oil and saute onions until golden. Add tomatoes and Madame Jeanette pepper. Cook until tomatoes break down into a sauce.
4
Arrange boiled vegetables on a platter, top with flaked salt fish, and pour the tomato-onion sauce over everything.

💡

Did You Know?

Heri heri means "very very" in Sranan Tongo, referring to the generous variety of root vegetables piled on the plate.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large pot
skillet
colander

Garnishing

hot pepper sauce

Accompaniments

pepper sauce, fresh lime

The Story Behind Heri Heri

Heri heri is one of Suriname's oldest dishes, originating with the Maroon communities who escaped slavery and established independent settlements in the interior rainforest. Using root vegetables they cultivated and preserved fish, they created a nutritious and filling meal that sustained their communities for centuries. The dish remains a powerful symbol of resilience and self-sufficiency in Surinamese culture.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch or dinner 📜 Origins: Maroon tradition, 17th century

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