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Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Moqueca baiana

Bahia, Brazil

Moqueca baiana

Brazilian fish stew from Bahia: fish and prawns in coconut milk and red palm oil (dendê) with tomatoes, peppers and coriander.

Moqueca baiana
Same steps, different flavour base Mild

New here? How this page works

Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.

This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Moqueca baiana. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.

Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Moqueca baiana

See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map

You’ll need

How many people?4

The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.

Main ingredient: 800 g Firm white fish steaks and prawns, marinated with lime and garlic.

From the base recipe

  • 2 Onions
  • 1 Green chillies
  • Cooking oil not used
  • Red chilli powder not used
  • Turmeric not used
  • 1 tsp · not used Salt and water
  • Ginger garlic paste not used
  • Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not used
  • Garam masala (optional) not used

Add for Moqueca baiana

  • 400 ml Coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp Red palm oil (dendê)
  • 3 · 2 Tomatoes and peppers, sliced
  • 1 handful Fresh coriander
  • 1 · 3 Lime and garlic

Leave out

  • Chilli powder
  • Turmeric
  • Whole spices
  • Garam masala

The nine steps, with the changes

Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.

  1. Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.

    Moqueca baiana: do thisSlice the onions in rings; a little malagueta chilli is enough.

  2. Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Moqueca baiana: do thisLayer the onions, tomatoes and peppers in the pot instead of frying them.

  3. Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.

    Moqueca baiana: do thisUse the fish and prawns.

  4. Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Moqueca baiana: do thisLay the fish on the vegetables.

  5. Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.

    Moqueca baiana: do thisSkip the spices.

  6. Keep frying until just before they start browning.

  7. Base step: do not useAdd some water.

    Moqueca baiana: do thisInstead of water, pour over the coconut milk and dendê.

  8. Add salt.

  9. Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.

    Moqueca baiana: do thisCover and simmer 15 minutes without stirring; add the prawns for the last 3. Finish with coriander.

Serve: With rice and pirão (cassava porridge).

For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.

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Food marks, as on packaged food in India: vegetarian · non-vegetarian (meat, fish or egg). Dishes with both marks can be made either way.

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