Ingredients
Base
- 300 gstale white bread, crusts removed
- 500 mlcoconut milk
- 300 mlfish stock or water
The paste
- 150 gdried shrimp
- 150 groasted peanuts
- 100 gcashews
- 1onion
- 4 clovesgarlic
- 3cm ginger
- 1tomato
Fat and heat
- 150 mldendê, red palm oil
- 2malagueta chillies
- salt
To finish
- chopped coriander
- a squeeze of lime
To serve
- with acarajé
- with white rice and moqueca
- with caruru
Directions
- Warm it gently rather than smoking it. Keep the flame moderate and do not leave it. Now the dried shrimp, which need preparing. Rinse them thoroughly and soak them in warm water for 20 minutes. Taste one before you commit them. Soak the stale bread in the coconut milk until completely soft.
- Use stale bread rather than fresh, since fresh bread turns to glue. This dish exists partly because stale bread had to be used.
- Squeeze it lightly and keep the milk. Now toast the peanuts and cashews if they are not already roasted. Toast them until fragrant, which deepens the flavour considerably.
- Grind it as smooth as your blender will manage, adding a little stock. Vatapá should be completely smooth, and any grittiness from the nuts or shrimp is immediately noticeable.
- Pour the mixture into a heavy pan and set it over a medium-low heat. Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon. It must be stirred without stopping. Cook it for 20 to 30 minutes as it thickens.
- Pour it in a little at a time, beating it in, so it emulsifies into the purée rather than sitting on top. Add the oil gradually rather than all at once. Add the chillies and season with salt. It should be thick, smooth and glossy, holding its shape on a spoon but still soft enough to spoon easily.
- Taste and adjust, and expect it to be rich, nutty, savoury and faintly hot. Finish with coriander and a squeeze of lime. Serve it warm rather than hot. It keeps three days refrigerated and thickens further, so loosen it when reheating.
Technique
- It is offered to the orixás in Candomblé as well as eaten as food.
- The baianas de acarajé hold recognised cultural heritage status.
- Dendê is essential and refined palm oil will not substitute.
Substitutions
- There is no substitute for dendê.
- Fish or chicken can be added, which some versions include.
Variations
- Made with fish, as vatapá de peixe.
- Made with chicken, which is common in the north.
- Served as a filling for acarajé.
History
Purée of bread, dried shrimp, peanuts and dendê from Bahia, descended from West African cooking carried by enslaved Yoruba people.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vatapá?
Vatapá is a salad & side from Brazil: creamy paste of bread, shrimp, peanuts, coconut milk and dendê. Purée of bread, dried shrimp, peanuts and dendê from Bahia, descended from West African cooking carried by enslaved Yoruba people.
How long does Vatapá take to make?
Vatapá takes 30 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Vatapá?
Yes, within limits. There is no substitute for dendê. Fish or chicken can be added, which some versions include.
What is the most important thing to get right in Vatapá?
Warm it gently rather than smoking it. Keep the flame moderate and do not leave it. Now the dried shrimp, which need preparing. Rinse them thoroughly and soak them in warm water for 20 minutes. Taste one before you commit them. Soak the stale bread in the coconut milk until completely soft.
