Telo
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Cassava, peeled and cut into chunks — 500 g (1.1 lb)
- Salted fish, soaked overnight — 250 g (9 oz)
- Medium Ripe plantain, sliced — 2
- Roasted unsalted peanuts, finely ground — 150 g (5.3 oz)
- Small Onion, finely chopped — 1
- Scotch bonnet or other chilli, finely chopped, to taste — 1/2
- Water — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
- Salt — to taste
Method
- Drain the soaked salted fish, rinse, cover with fresh water and simmer 15 minutes; drain, flake and set aside.
- Boil the cassava chunks in salted water for 20 minutes until tender; drain and keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil and shallow-fry the plantain slices until golden; set aside.
- For the peanut sauce, warm the remaining oil, saute the onion and chilli for 2 minutes, then stir in the ground peanuts and water and simmer gently, stirring, until it thickens into a smooth, pourable sauce, about 8 minutes. Season with salt.
- Pan-fry the flaked salted fish in a dry pan for 3-4 minutes until lightly crisped at the edges.
- Plate the cassava, plantain and salted fish together and spoon the warm peanut sauce generously over the top.
Introduction: Telo is a hearty breakfast rooted in Suriname’s Amerindian and Maroon communities, built around boiled cassava, salted fish, fried ripe plantain and a peanut sauce for dipping.
Cultural Background: Telo is a hearty breakfast rooted in Suriname’s Amerindian and Maroon communities, built around boiled cassava, salted fish, fried ripe plantain and a peanut sauce for dipping. It is one of the oldest dish formats in the country, reflecting the staple foods — cassava and peanuts — that indigenous and Maroon communities have relied on for generations, later enriched with salt fish introduced through coastal trade.
Tips: Grind the peanuts finely for a silky sauce; a food processor works well if you don’t have a mortar and pestle. Add the peanut sauce liquid gradually — it thickens quickly once it comes to a simmer. Serve extra sauce on the side, as Telo is meant to be generously coated.
Variations: Use smoked fish in place of salted fish for a deeper flavour. Add a squeeze of lime juice to the peanut sauce for brightness, common in coastal versions. Replace the salted fish with pan-fried smoked tofu or tempeh; the cassava, plantain and peanut sauce are already naturally vegetarian.
Storage: Store the cassava, plantain, fish and sauce in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Warm the cassava and plantain gently in a covered pan with a splash of water; reheat the peanut sauce over low heat, stirring, adding a little water if it has thickened too much.
FAQs:
Q: Is Telo the same as Heri Heri?
A: No — Telo centres on cassava and a peanut sauce, while Heri Heri uses a mix of several root vegetables served with tomato-onion fish and a fried egg. Both are Surinamese breakfast staples but with distinct roots.
Q: Can I make the peanut sauce ahead?
A: Yes, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be gently reheated with a splash of water.
Q: What chilli is traditionally used?
A: Madame Jeanette, a Surinamese scotch-bonnet-type chilli, is traditional; any scotch bonnet or habanero is a good substitute.
- Cassava, peeled and cut into chunks — 500 g (1.1 lb)
- Salted fish, soaked overnight — 250 g (9 oz)
- Medium Ripe plantain, sliced — 2
- Roasted unsalted peanuts, finely ground — 150 g (5.3 oz)
- Small Onion, finely chopped — 1
- Scotch bonnet or other chilli, finely chopped, to taste — 1/2
- Water — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
- Salt — to taste
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