Vatapá

Ingredients13

• stale white bread200 g
• coconut milk400 ml
• dried shrimp100 g
• raw peanuts80 g
• cashews80 g
• dendê palm oil80 ml
• onion1
• garlic3 cloves
• fresh ginger20 g
• fresh cilantro30 g
• malagueta chili2
• fish stock300 ml
• salt1 tsp

Method

1. Soak the bread in the coconut milk until soft, then mash it into a thick paste.
2. Toast the peanuts and cashews, then grind them finely with the dried shrimp.
3. Finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, and chili.
4. Warm the dendê oil and gently cook the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili until fragrant.
5. Stir in the nut-shrimp paste, soaked bread, and fish stock, and simmer, stirring often, until thick and creamy.
6. Season with salt, fold in the cilantro, and cook a few minutes more until the oil just surfaces.
7. Serve hot as a thick stew, traditionally with rice, or as a filling for acarajé.