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Brazilian Vatapá served and ready to eat

Brazilian Vatapá

A thick Bahian seafood stew with bread, peanuts, cashews and coconut milk — silky, complex and unforgettable.

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⏱️
20 minPrep
🔥
40 minCook
🍽️
5Serves
📊
MediumLevel
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Ingredients

  • 500g prawns, peeled
  • 200g firm white fish
  • 3 slices stale bread, crusts off
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 200ml whole milk
  • 100g roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 100g cashews
  • 1 onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 thumb ginger
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp palm oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Big bunch coriander
  • Lime, salt

Instructions

  1. Soak the bread in milk 10 minutes.
  2. Blend the soaked bread, peanuts, cashews, ginger and half the coconut milk.
  3. Soften onion, garlic, tomato in olive oil.
  4. Stir in the bread-nut paste and the rest of the coconut milk; simmer 15 minutes.
  5. Add fish; cook 5 minutes.
  6. Add prawns and palm oil; cook 4 minutes more.
  7. Finish with coriander and lime.
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Tara’s tips

  • The bread-nut paste is what makes vatapá silky and substantial.
  • Don't overcook the prawns.

Serving suggestions

  • Serve over rice or with acarajé.

Storage & reheating

Keeps 2 days.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is not yet available for this recipe. Values vary with portion size and exact ingredients — we will add verified figures here soon.

Frequently asked questions

Without palm oil?

Olive oil works but the colour and flavour change.

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