Vatapa

Ingredients

1 kg fresh prawns, peeled
1 cup dried prawns
6 medium portions of halibut (may be substituted with other firm fleshed, non oily fish)
1 cup of peeled diced tomatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 cm block of ginger (minced)
1 lime
1 capsicum, chopped
6 large red chillis (roughly chopped)
Half a cup of ground, unsalted, shelled roasted peanuts
1 can coconut milk
4 cups of fish stock
2 tbs palm oil
2 tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium sized bay leaf
1 loaf of bread, cubed and soaked in milk (just covering)
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1tsp turmeric

Method

Soak the dried prawns in warm water for 20 minutes, drain.

Heat palm oil in a large saucepan over low to moderate heat. Sauté onions for 2 minutes, stirring frequently (do not brown). Add garlic and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, puree dried prawns, onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric, coriander, tomatoes, red pepper, olive oil and lime juice until it forms a thick paste. Puree milk soaked bread in the food processor. Bone and skin the fish. Cut into 2 1/2 centimetre cubes.

Combine the pureed prawn paste with fish stock, bay leaf and chopped chillis; heat in a large pan. Add the coconut milk and the pureed milk/bread mixture and bring back to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, approx 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the fish and raw prawns. Thoroughly submerge and continue to simmer for a further 5-7 minutes.

Sprinkle the ground and peanuts over the fish and shrimp, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


A deliciously spicy mixture of bread, shrimp, red pepper, ginger, finely ground peanuts, coconut milk, palm oil and onions, enormously popular in the north and north east of Brazil.