Vatapá: A Creamy Bahian Seafood Stew
This rich and vibrant Brazilian dish hails from the coastal state of Bahia, where African culinary traditions have deeply influenced local cuisine. Vatapá transforms humble ingredients like dried shrimp, bread, coconut milk, and ground peanuts into a luxuriously creamy stew that captures the essence of Brazil’s northeastern coast. The complex layering of flavours – from the brininess of dried shrimp to the subtle heat of birds-eye (or malagueta ) chillie and chilli powder , all mellowed by coconut milk and enriched with dendê oil – makes this dish a true celebration of Afro-Brazilian cooking traditions. Whether served over rice or as a filling for acarajé, vatapá showcases the ingenious ways that enslaved Africans adapted their culinary heritage to create something entirely new in Brazilian something entirely new in Brazilian soil.
- Serving size: 100g
- Calories: 217 kcal
- Fat: 14 grams
- Saturated fat: 4.8 grams
- Carbohydrates: 14 grams
- Sugar: 4 grams
- Sodium: 1.2 grams
- Fiber: 1.4 grams
- Protein: 8.8 grams
- Dried shrimps - 100 grams
- Onion – one large – finely diced
- Garlic – two cloves- finely chopped
- Birds-eye Chillies – three – finely chopped ( see note)
- Coriander/ Cilantro – ½ cup ( chopped)
- Roasted peanuts – ¼ Cup
- Cashew nuts – ½ Cup (unsalted)
- Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
- Red Chilli powder – one teaspoon
- Coconut milk – 400ml
- Palm oil – 100 ml ( see note)
- Milk (full fat) – 250ml
- Day-old soft crushed French loaf – ¾
- Salt – one teaspoon
- Water – ½ cup
- Wheat flour – 3 tablespoons
- Finely grind the peanuts, cashew nuts and shrimp individually and place in separate bowls
- Break the French bread into a large bowl and add coconut cream, milk and water. Allow bread to soak up the liquids by stirring with a spoon
- Place the soaked bread in a blender and pulse. Add wheat flour and chilli powder. Blend well
- Now slowly incorporate the nuts by and shrimp tablespoon by tablespoon until well combined
- Heat palm oil in a pan and bring to medium heat. Add onions and fry until translucent
- Add chillies, ginger and the garlic. Fry gently for two-three minutes
- Place the bread /nut mixture into the pan
- Gently heat to a medium temperature, stirring all the time
- Add Coriander
- Allow to reach simmering point. It is essential that you not stop stirring at any point as there is a danger the mixture will catch on the bottom of the pan. What you are looking to achieve is to cook the mixture at simmering /boiling temperature until the mixture is cooked. The mixture will thicken in this process into a creamy paste
- When the palm oil starts rising to the surface, it indicates that the sauce is cooked through
- Remove from stove and serve with rice, toast or Acarajé (Brazillian fried patty made with beans and onions.)
* Palm oil can be substituted by Canola oil
**For a hotter Brazilain vatapa sauce , add more chillies
Keywords: Vatapá
Serves: 4 - 5 portions