Enantioselective esterification of glycidol has been performed with lauric acid in organic media dosed with surfactant-lipase complexes as catalysts. Lipase derived from various biomaterial sources was complexed with nonionic surfactant, dioleyl-N-D-glucono-L-glutamate, prior to use, Surfactant-lipase D (from Rhizopus delemar) complex had a higher enantioselectivity (v(R)/v(S) = 7.6) than the other lipases and the corresponding initial reaction rate was averaging 100-fold better than that of native powder lipase D in cyclohexane at 35 degrees C.