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Fish Vatapá with ginger, with coconut milk and nuts
Brazilian fish Vatapá thickened with ground nuts

Fish Vatapá with Ginger

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Vatapá is the pride of Bahia province, where African and South American cuisines meet. This is not a simple fish soup: the creaminess of coconut milk, the heat of ginger and the thickening power of ground nuts result in a thick, rich, fragrant dish that instantly transports you to the tropics.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 25 mins
⌛ Total Time 40 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 400 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Brazilian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Deep frying pan
  • Knife for filleting/chopping fish

Allergen Information

⚠️ Fish
⚠️ Nuts

Instructions

1 ✓

Pat the fish dry, cut into larger cubes, and drizzle with the lime juice. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Tip: The lime acid starts to 'cook' the fish proteins (denaturation), so don't leave it on for too long before cooking, or it might toughen.
2 ✓

Heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, pepper and grated ginger until they start to soften.

Tip: Ginger's spicy aromas dissolve best in oil.
3 ✓

Sprinkle with paprika, then pour in the coconut milk. Bring to the boil.

Tip: The fat in the coconut milk stabilizes the emulsion, giving a creamy texture to the sauce.
4 ✓

Place the fish pieces carefully into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

Tip: Don't stir wildly, because the fish is fragile! Shake the pan instead.
5 ✓

Finally, sprinkle with the chopped nuts and coriander. Serve with rice.

Tip: Nuts not only add crunch but traditionally also function as a thickener in Vatapá.

Recipe FAQ

What fish should I choose?
Any white-fleshed, firmer structured sea fish is good (cod, sea bream). The main thing is that it shouldn't fall apart immediately during cooking.

Ingredients

  • 500 g White fish fillet (e.g. cod, sea bream)
  • 200 ml Coconut milk
  • 3 cloves Garlic (crushed)
  • 2 cm Fresh ginger (grated)
  • 1 piece Red pepper (sliced)
  • 1 piece Red onion (diced)
  • 50 g Brazil nuts (or cashews, roughly chopped)
  • 1 tsp Paprika powder
  • 2 tbsp Lime juice
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander (chopped)
  • 1 pinch Salt and pepper