RECIPE / ONE REALIZATION
The following is the recipe for a stew version of vatapá, which is characterized by a soupier consistency and the use of cod and fish stock. Naturally, shrimp, peanuts, cashews, dendê oil, and coconut milk are all included, and the vatapá is thickened with bread. The recipe is adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora, a major Brazilian publisher and one of Brazil's biggest media holding companies.
← Back to the dish overviewRECIPE INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Place the bread into a large mixing bowl and tear it into rough pieces. Pour the coconut milk over the bread and allow it to soak until the bread becomes soft. Once softened, blend the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth, then set it aside.
Next, warm the dendê oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the onions and whole shrimp, cooking them until the onions become translucent but not brown.
ntroduce the ground cashews and peanuts, followed by the ground shrimp. Stir well to ensure everything is evenly mixed. Season with salt to your liking.
Gradually incorporate the bread and coconut milk mixture into the saucepan, mixing thoroughly. Then, add the salt cod and fish stock.
Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring regularly to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the stew has reduced and thickened.
Once done, remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the grated ginger and transfer the mixture to a large serving dish.
OTHER REALIZATIONS
The following is the classic recipe for a type of vatapá that is used as a filling for acarajé, deep-fried black-eyed pea fritters. In this case, the vatapá has a more porridge-like consistency and is thickened with wheat flour and not, perhaps, the more traditional cassava flour. The recipe makes 10 servings if eaten as a stand-alone meal or with a side of rice. If used as a filling, it can fill lots of acarajé fritters.
The following recipe is for vatapá thickened with cassava flour, which is more in line with tradition, as African slaves, who were responsible for creating the dish did not have access to the more costly wheat flour or bread. The recipe has all the typical ingredients: shrimp, palm oil, coconut milk, cashews, peanuts, onion, and ginger.
USEFUL NOTES
Dried shrimp can be bought at all Asian, African, and Latin American stores. Brands vary in how much salt they have, so there might be some trying out to find the perfect kind. Also, remove the tail and the head of the shrimp before you use them in the dish.
Do not use salted peanuts and cashews, as the dried shrimp already have enough salt.
When adding flour, whether cassava or wheat flour, do so in batches to avoid lumps. Stir the vatapá every time you add flour.
Vatapá recipes do not list salt as it's presumed that dried shrimp will provide enough saltiness. However, test and try, then add some if need be.