Acarajé Completo is a beloved Afro-Brazilian street food originating from Bahia, Brazil. These deep-fried patties, made from ground black-eyed peas, offer a delightful explosion of flavors and textures when filled with caruru (an okra and shrimp stew), vatapá (a creamy bread and shrimp paste), and molho lambão (a spicy salsa). Dive into this traditional Bahian recipe to bring a taste of Afro-Brazilian culture to your kitchen.
Ingredients
For Caruru:
🍆 500g okra
🥥 80ml palm oil
🍶 50ml vegetable oil
🧅 1 onion
🧄 4 cloves garlic
🍤 300g dried shrimp
🌿 50g cilantro
🧄 50g green onion chives
🥥 100ml coconut milk
🍤 200ml shrimp broth prepared
🥜 100g peanuts
🌰 100g cashew nuts
🌶️ 0.5 green bell pepper
🌶️ 0.5 red bell pepper
🌶️ 0.5 yellow bell pepper
🌱 15g ginger
🌶️ 1 malagueta pepper
🌶️ 1 sweet chili pepper
🌶️ 1 dedo de moça pepper
🌾 5g turmeric
🌶️ 5g smoked paprika
🧂 10g salt
For Vatapá:
🍤 300g dried shrimp
🍞 500g stale bread
🥛 1.5 liters whole milk
🥥 350ml thick coconut milk
🍤 150ml shrimp broth prepared
🌰 150g cashews
🌰 100g peanuts
🍏 50ml olive oil
🥥 100ml palm oil
🌿 20g cilantro
🧄 4 cloves garlic
🌶️ 1 dedo de moça pepper
🌶️ 1 sweet chili pepper
🧅 1 onion
🌶️ 1 malagueta pepper
🌶️ 0.5 yellow bell pepper
🌶️ 0.5 red bell pepper
🌶️ 0.5 green bell pepper
🌾 5g turmeric
🌶️ 5g smoked paprika
🌰 2g dandá da costa or nutmeg
🧂 10g salt
For Caldo de Camarão:
🧅 2 onions
🧄 4 cloves garlic
🥕 2 carrots
🌿 1 bay leaf
🌸 7 cloves
🥒 0.5 leek
🌿 1 stalk celery
🍤 100g fresh shrimp shells
🍤 100g dried shrimp heads
🍶 50ml vegetable oil
💧 1 liter water
🧂 5g salt
For Bolinho do Acarajé:
🫘 0.5 kg black-eyed peas
🧅 2 white onions
🧅 1 red onion for frying oil
🍶 1 liter vegetable oil
🥥 500ml palm oil
🧂 10g salt
🌶️ 5g black pepper
🍤 100g dried shrimp for decoration
Instructions
1- Preparation Tips:
- Begin by soaking black-eyed peas overnight and the stale bread for 2 hours to ensure readiness.
- Prepare the shrimp broth ahead by simmering shrimp shells and heads with aromatics.
2- For Caldo de Camarão:
- Chop garlic, onions, leek, celery, and carrots.
- Heat oil in a pan, sauté garlic and onions.
3- Add Ingredients:
- Add chopped vegetables and sauté them until soft.
- Incorporate shrimp shells and heads and stir.
4- Cooking Broth:
- Pour water to cover ingredients, add cloves, bay leaf, and salt.
- Boil covered for 40 minutes, then blend the mixture.
5- Strain Broth:
- Strain the blend and reserve the broth.
6- For Vatapá:
- Soak chopped stale bread in whole milk for 2 hours.
- Blend milk-soaked bread with shrimp broth and set aside.
7- Blend Ingredients:
- Blend coconut milk with shrimp, nuts, and spices into a thick mixture.
8- Sauté Ingredients:
- Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil.
9- Cooking Vatapá:
- Add blended bread mixture, cook until thickened.
- Add the seasoned coconut milk mixture and stir continuously.
10- Final Touches:
- Finish with cilantro, chives, and palm oil before setting aside.
11- For Caruru:
- Slice okra, chop onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, and chives.
- Sauté garlic and onion in oil.
12- Cooking Caruru:
- Add okra, searing slightly.
- Blend shrimp with spices and coconut milk, then add to pan.
13- Final Cooking:
- Pour shrimp broth, cook until thick.
14- For Molho Lambão:
- Finely chop tomatoes and herbs.
15- Prepare Peppers:
- Crush peppers with salt and a squeeze of lemon using a mortar.
16- Mix Ingredients:
- Mix candidly with cachaça and olive oil.
- Combine seasoned peppers with chopped vegetables.
17- For Bolinho do Acarajé:
- Peel soaked black-eyed peas, then blend with onions.
18- Prepare Dough:
- Beat mixture to incorporate air, forming a light, voluminous dough.
19- Fry Dough:
- Heat oils with red onion to reduce the oil’s robust aroma.
- Fry dough scoops until crispy and golden-red and decorate with shrimp.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve Acarajé by splitting open the fritters and stuffing with layers of vatapá, caruru, molho lambão, and a garnish of dried shrimp.
Prep Time: 8-12 hours soaking time
Cook Time: 2-3 hours
Total Time: ~10-15 hours
Servings: 8-10 patties
Calories per Serving: 650
Protein per Serving: 20g
Fat per Serving: 40g
Carbohydrates per Serving: 50g
Equipment: Blender (Any standard blender will work), Various pans (saucepan, frying pan), Cutting board and knife, Sieve or strainer, Wooden and metal spoons, Serving bowls, Grater for nutmeg, Mortar and pestle
Cooking Tips
- Use hot water for coconut milk to extract maximum flavor.
- Ensure caruru and vatapá achieve the right thickness before removing from heat.
- Customize spicy levels in molho lambão according to taste.
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