Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 377kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup dried shrimp rinsed
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons roasted unsalted cashews
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 3 tablespoons dendê (red palm) oil divided
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the dried shrimp, peanuts, cashews, ginger, onion, garlic and tomato with the water. Blend until as smooth as possible.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the dendê oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the blended mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Whisk the almond flour into the coconut milk, then pour it into the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vatapá is thick enough to hold a trail when you draw the spoon across the bottom.
- Stir in the fresh shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until pink and cooked through.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the remaining dendê oil and the cilantro, and taste for salt. Dried shrimp is salty, so you may need very little. Serve warm.
Notes
Stir constantly once the coconut milk goes in, because the nuts and almond flour catch on the bottom of the pan easily. Vatapá thickens further as it cools; loosen leftovers with a splash of water when you reheat them.
Chef's Tip: Toast the dried shrimp in a dry pan for a minute before blending. It brings out a deeper, smoky sea flavor that makes the dish taste like the ones sold in Salvador.
Keto Swap: Bahian vatapá is thickened with day-old bread or wheat flour soaked in coconut milk. Almond flour gives the same body and adds a gentle nuttiness. The cashews are kept to a small amount because they are higher in carbs than other nuts.
Success Tip: Serve it as a main dish over cauliflower rice, or spoon it onto halved hard-boiled eggs or cucumber rounds as a party snack.
Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 377kcal | Protein: 26g | Fat: 29g | Fiber: 2.1g
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