-
1
1.Place the onion, dried shrimp, garlic and chilies in a food processor or blender and puree well.
-
2
Add a little water if necessary.
-
3
2.Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
-
4
Add the onion-shrimp mixture and saute until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
-
5
3.Stir in the stock or water and whisk in the peanut or cashew butter until smooth.
-
6
Then stir in the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
-
7
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-8 minutes to meld the flavors.
-
8
4.Stir in the shrimp and coconut milk and simmer another 5-6 minutes, or until shrimp is almost cooked through.
-
9
5.Remove from heat, stir in the dende oil and serve.
-
10
Vatapa de Galinha: substitute 1 1/2 pounds of cooked, shredded chicken for the shrimp.
-
11
Vatapa de Peixe: substitute 1 1/2 pounds of firm white-fleshed fish, cut into chunks, for the shrimp.
-
12
If you can't find dried shrimp, you can puree about 1 cup of fresh raw shrimp in a blender and substitute it for the dried.
-
13
A truly authentic dish would use dende, or palm oil, which gives the dish a bright yellow-orange tint.
-
14
But dende can be hard to find outside Brazil.
-
15
Try adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric to the onion-shrimp paste instead.
-
16
Some recipes call for the addition of 1 tablespoon of fresh, minced ginger.
-
17
Others for 1-2 cups of chopped tomatoes.
-
18
The breadcrumbs act as a thickener for the vatapa.
-
19
Some recipes use cornmeal instead.
-
20
Others thicken it like a gravy with flour.
