It’s amazing how similar our cultures are… perhaps it’s the hot tropical weather, family structure and zest for life! I was given a quick introduction to Brazilian food and ingredients in their open kitchen. Brazilians use plenty of tapioca and cassava flour, rice, beans, lemons, garlic and cilantro. Red meat is part of the staple diet. Juicy tropical fruits like mangoes, guavas, pineapples, plantains and papayas are relished.

 

Brazil’s long coastline has made fish a staple dish in many regions. Moqueca is a hearty fish stew made with layers of fish, vegetables and coconut milk, seasoned with local herbs. It is absolute comfort food! I’m glad I chipped in with the cooking and chopping, so I could see (and smell) the process. A thick, dark and peculiar oil called dende (palm oil) is used to enhance the flavour of the dish. If, however, you can’t find dende in a gourmet or speciality food store, you can substitute with olive oil. Do ensure that you have a firm fillet of fish that is of the highest quality. Here’s the recipe for moqueca, as it is cooked on the Bahian coast, from my dear friend Gabriela.

 

Ingredients

 

½ kg firm, white-flesh fillet of fish like rawas, red snapper or ghol

 

For the fish marinade

2 tsps minced garlic

Juice of 2 limes

1 tsp each of salt and ground pepper

2 tbsps olive oil

 

For the gravy

2 ½ cups coconut milk

2green capsicums, sliced into rings

2 large onions, sliced into rings

2 tomatoes, sliced into rounds

4-5 spring onions, finely chopped with their long, green leaves

1 large fistful bunch of coriander, chopped

2 tsps chilli powder

4 tbsps palm oil/olive oil

 

Method

 

Debone the fish, if necessary and cut into large chunks. Marinate for a few hours (or at least one hour) with lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil, and refrigerate.

 

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in a large stockpot or deep vessel and gently add the marinated fish to the base of the pan. Let the fish cook for 5 minutes and then add layers of the capsicums, tomatoes and onions, one by one, making as many layers as possible. Between layers, add the spring onions and half the coriander and drizzle dende or olive oil.

 

Add the coconut milk and chilli powder. Cover the dish and let it simmer on low heat for 25 minutes. Add salt to taste, but avoid stirring the mixture too much, and don’t disturb the layer of fish at the bottom. Add the coriander after switching off the gas.

 

Serve with rice cooked Brazilian style – sauté onions and garlic in a little butter, add the rice and stir. Add water and let the rice cook.