Vatapá

Name: Vatapá
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 1.5 slice White Bread; 100 ML Coconut Milk; 12.5 G Peanuts; 12.5 G Cashews; 12.5 G Dried Shrimp; 0.25 large Onion; 0.75 clove Garlic; 0.5 centimeter (cm) Ginger; 0.375 Malagueta Chili; 62.5 ML Fish Stock; 0.75 TBSP Azeite de Dendê; 0.25 TBSP Neutral Oil; 0.375 TSP Salt; 0.125 bunch Cilantro; 100 G Medium Shrimp; 0.25 juice from 1 lime Lime Juice

Vatapá is a rich, creamy Bahian stew with a luxurious coconut and palm-oil base, studded with shrimp and fragranced with ginger, garlic and malagueta chili. Thickened with softened bread and ground nuts, it delivers a velvety, slightly spicy seafood comfort that’s perfect with rice or acarajé. The bright finish of lime and cilantro balances the dish beautifully.

Vatapá is a rich, creamy Bahian stew with a luxurious coconut and palm-oil base, studded with shrimp and fragranced with ginger, garlic and malagueta ... Show more

4.2

•⏳45min•👨‍🍳Medium

one pot

low carb

low sugar

comfort food

african

brazilian

main/dinner

Method

Prep the ingredients

Remove the crusts from the day-old White Bread and tear the soft center into pieces. Finely chop the Onion, Garlic, Ginger, and Malagueta Chili; roughly chop the Cilantro; and rinse the Dried Shrimp under cold water, then pat it dry. Measure out the Peanuts and Cashews so everything is ready to blend.

Soak and season

Put the torn bread in a bowl and pour over the Coconut Milk. In a second bowl, toss the Medium Shrimp with the Lime Juice and a pinch of Salt. Let both sit for 10 minutes so the bread softens fully and the shrimp picks up the lime.

Blend the base

Transfer the softened bread and coconut milk to a blender. Add the peanuts, cashews, dried shrimp, onion, garlic, ginger, and chili, then pour in just enough of the Fish Stock, or water if needed, to get everything moving. Blend until the mixture is very smooth and thick, stopping once to scrape down the sides if needed.

Cook the paste

Set a heavy pot over medium heat and warm the Neutral Oil with the Azeite de Dendê until fragrant. Add the blended paste and season with the salt, then cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom, for 15 minutes until the vatapá turns glossy, thick, and slightly darker. If it starts to catch, splash in a little more stock to keep the texture creamy.

Add the shrimp

Stir the marinated shrimp into the simmering vatapá and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until they turn pink and opaque. Fold in the cilantro and taste; add a little more salt if the sauce needs it. Stop as soon as the shrimp are done so they stay tender.