-
1
Grind the Nuts and Dried Shrimp
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Toast the cashews in a dry pan for 2 to 3 minutes until golden, then grind them with the peanuts to a coarse meal. Grind the dried shrimp separately to a coarse powder. The two grinds are the body of the stew — coarse, not smooth — so pulse the processor and check often.
Pulse, do not run the processor continuously: ten seconds too long turns the nuts into butter.
Done when: The nuts form a coarse, sandy meal; the dried shrimp is a fragrant powder.
-
2
Sauté the Aromatics in Dendê Oil
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Warm the dendê oil in a heavy pot over medium heat — it will turn the oil a deep red-orange. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens and the kitchen smells warm and savoury. Add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes more until it collapses into the base.
Dendê oil stains everything it touches, so use a dark tea towel and an old wooden spoon.
Done when: The onion is soft and translucent, the tomato has melted into the oil, and the pot smells rich and warm.
-
3
Add the Okra and Simmer Thick
20 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Add the sliced okra and the ground dried shrimp to the pot and stir well so every round is coated in the red oil. Pour in the water and the ground nuts, add the pricked malagueta chilli, and bring the pot to a gentle simmer. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the okra has softened and the stew has thickened into a dense, spoon-coating mass. The okra's natural mucilage is what thickens it — that slippery texture is correct, not a mistake.
Stir and scrape the bottom every few minutes: the ground nuts catch and burn faster than you expect.
Done when: The stew is thick enough to mound on a spoon and the okra has lost its raw edge.
-
4
Add the Shrimp and Coconut Milk
8 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Stir in the coconut milk and lay the fresh shrimp on top of the stew. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, without stirring, until the shrimp are pink and opaque all the way through — about 63°C (145°F) inside. Stir once, gently, to fold the shrimp through the stew, and taste for salt: the dried shrimp usually salts the pot by itself.
Do not stir while the shrimp cook: they break apart in a thick stew if you move them before they set.
Done when: The shrimp are pink and opaque through, and the stew is glossy and thick.
-
5
Finish with Lime and Coriander
5 Mins
Serve hot, about 70°C (160°F)
Take the pot off the heat, fish out the malagueta chilli, and stir in the lime juice and chopped coriander. Let the stew rest for 5 minutes — it thickens further as it cools, and the lime needs a moment to lift the richness. Serve hot with steamed rice.
If the stew goes stiff while it rests, loosen it with a splash of hot water — never with more oil.
Done when: The stew is hot, thick and fragrant, with the lime brightening the first spoonful.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve hot with steamed white rice, a spoonful of vatapá and farofa on the side. The stew thickens as it sits, so if it goes stiff, loosen it with a splash of hot water — never with more oil.
Brazil
1h 5m
