Food Focus: Caruru de Camarão

Country Of Origin: Brazil

Caruru de Camarão is an okra (ladyfinger) and prawn stew that is commonly eaten as a condiment in the state of Bahia. Which is in north-east Brazil. Caruru de Camarão can be eaten most deliciously with plain white rice. However, the most popular way of eating it is to consume it with Acarajé, which is fritter made from mashed black-eyed peas.

We made Caruru de Camarão once for a Brazilian-themed birthday dinner. It was a simple dish with a strong seafood taste. Some of the original ingredients like manioc (tapioca meal) cannot be easily found in Singapore. Therefore we chose to use breadcrumbs to create a dish of similar consistency.

Caruru de Camarão is usually thickened with either manioc meal or roasted peanuts (or both). It is a matter of personal taste, and also which part of Brazil you are in. We chose to thicken our stew solely with breadcrumbs as it is way faster than having to roast and crush peanuts.

Caruru de Camarão

Ingredients:
-750g to 1kg frozen raw prawns (shrimps), defrosted
-750g to 1kg okra (ladyfinger)
-4 cups hot water mixed with 4 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
-2 large onions, finely chopped
-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-5 tablespoons vegetable oil
-4 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
-salt and black pepper to taste

Cut the okra into thick slices and cook in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain immediately and wash off the excess slime from the okra. Pat dry and set aside. The okra will have excreted so much slime that the drained liquid will look like glue. In a small pot, stir the breadcrumbs into the hot fish stock. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and allow to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the mixture every now and then to prevent clumping. In a deep-dished non stick pan, fry the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and golden. Pour the stock and breadcrumb mixture into the pan of onions and garlic Bring to the boil and continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Then add in the okra and shrimp and bring to the boil again. Cook over high heat until the prawns turn pink. Take care not to overcook the prawns. Taste the stew and season with salt and black pepper accordingly. Remove from heat and serve immediately with white rice or if you are lucky to obtain, with Acarajé.

What Are Sobarias?

Sobarias are basically brazilian noodle shops selling Okinawan soba. Opened by ethnic Japanese or/and Okinawan brazilians, Sobarias are quite popular in the city of Campo Grande. Which is in Mato Grosso do Sul. The irony is however, that most Japanese brazilians actually live in the states of São Paulo and Paraná. Sobarias sell the brazilian adaptation of Okinawan soba, which consists of toppings such as sliced meat and vegetables. Also available are other 'brazilianised' Japanese dishes such as yakisoba and generic ethnic dishes like beef kebabs and sausages.

Many Singaporeans do not know this, but Brazil has the largest group of ethnic Japanese living outside Japan in the world. Most of them are already third to fourth generation descendants. Many Japanese in Brazil have ancestors from Okinawa too, therefore it is not surprising to find Okinawan food in modern Brazilian culture. Okinawan soba is nothing like the usual Japanese cha-soba or zaru-soba found in Singapore. Okinawan Soba consists of thin or thick, whitish wheat noodles in a clear pork and seaweed broth. Common toppings for Okinawan soba are either thick cuts of pork belly or boneless pork ribs (known locally as soki) and sliced scallions. Sometimes one can find sliced kamaboko (japanese fishcake) included as a topping too. The final touch on this dish is an extremely red and deliciously strong and pungent ginger pickle known in Japan as Beni Shoga.

To have a brief idea about this fine example of latin-american asian culture, check out http://www.sobaria.com.br/ (the website is in Portuguese though)

Food Focus: Pão de Queijo

Country Of Origin: Brazil

Pão de Queijo is a Brazilian cheese bun. Commonly eaten as breakfast or as a snack. It can be found in many Brazilian bakeries, although many Brazilians also love making it at home from pre-mixes. It goes best with a cup of hot coffee or tea. As it is almost impossible to find a Pão de Queijo pre-mix in Singapore, we decided to make it from scratch. Do note that although the recipe and steps are simple, the dough can be a little difficult to handle as it can be rather sticky.

Pão de Queijo

Ingredients:
- 500g tapioca flour
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup ready-shredded or grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to maximum. In a heavy-based, non-stick saucepan, bring milk, vegetable oil and salt to boil over medium heat. Take care not to burn the milk. Remove from heat and whisk in tapioca flour, bit by bit until it forms a smooth batter. Leave to cool while still in the pan. When batter has cooled, whisk in the beaten eggs, bit by bit until batter is smooth again. Add all the parmesan cheese and mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough at this point will usually be very sticky.
Line a baking tray with aluminium foil, lightly grease it with vegetable oil and set aside. Use 1 tablespoon to scoop a generous portion of dough and another tablespoon to help shape it into a circle (not very easy) and drop it onto the baking tray. Continue this process until all the dough has been used up. Make sure the cheese balls are decently spaced apart. Reduce oven heat to 180 deg celcius (on fan mode) and bake the cheese buns for around 30 minutes. Monitoring it every now and then to make sure it doesn't burn. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick or chopstick into the bun. It should come out clean. Allow to cool down a little before serving. It should be served warm, not piping hot.

Food Focus: Moqueca Baiana

Country Of Origin: Brazil

There are 2 main types of Moqueca that exist in Brazil. Moqueca Capixaba which is a speciality of Espírito Santo in south-eastern Brazil. And Moqueca Baiana which is a traditional dish from the state of Bahia. Which is in north-east Brazil. Moqueca is a pink or sometimes orange coloured seafood stew that has a history of a few hundred years. Moqueca Capixaba is prepared in a more Native American way, with annatto seeds being used and containing no coconut milk. Moqueca Baiana displays more African influence, and is usually prepared with ingredients like dendê oil and coconut milk. This post here focuses on Moqueca Baiana as we have prepared it for a birthday function before. Here are a few recipes, simplified for your convenience.

Moqueca de Peixe (Fish Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 750g to 1kg white flesh fish fillets (such as Red Snapper), cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

Heat oil in a large, deep-dished pan. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in hot stock, chilli paste and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add coconut cream and mix well and add fish. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Simmer until fish is cooked through. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Moqueca de Camarão (Shrimp/Prawn Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 750g to 1kg frozen raw prawns. Must be raw. Thawed, peeled and deveined. Reserve its liquid after thawing
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

Heat oil in a large, deep-dished pan. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in hot stock and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add coconut cream, chilli paste and the reserved prawn liquid, mix well and add prawns. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Simmer until prawns are cooked through. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Moqueca de Mexilhão (Mussel Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 1kg raw mussels, soaked and scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

In a large pot. Bring the stock to a rolling boil and pour in the mussels. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for a few minutes. Shaking the pot once or twice to turn the mussels. Allow the mussels to cook through before removing from heat. Drain and reserve the liquid. Heat oil in a large, deep-dished pan. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in the reserved mussel liquid, chilli paste and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add coconut cream and mix well. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Add the cooked mussels and turn off the heat. Mix well and stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste if still necessary. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Moqueca de Caranguejo/Lagosta (Crab/Lobster Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- oil for pan frying
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 1 to 1.5kg of crab or lobster, cleaned, scrubbed, innards such as gills removed and cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

Pat crab or lobster dry with a paper towel. Hit the shell with the flat side of a cleaver to crack the shells. Do not overcrack them as this will cause bits of shell to fall into the stew. Dust all over with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat oil in a wok or deep dish pan and pan-fry crab or lobster in batches. Preferable to use metal tongs. Pan fry till shell turns red. Remove crab or lobster from heat and set aside. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in hot stock and, chilli paste and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add crab or lobster. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes or until crab or lobster is cooked through. Add in coconut cream and bring to the boil again. Remove from heat and stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Food Focus: Vatapá

Country Of Origin: Brazil

Vatapá is a thick seafood and coconut stew that originates from the state of Bahia, in north-eastern Brazil. Superbly filling, this dish has become extremely popular and commonly associated with other areas in northern Brazil too. In Bahia, Vatapá is usually eaten with Acarajé (a deep fried bean ball). Elsewhere in Brazil, it is usually eaten with white rice. Vatapá is not very well known in Singapore as most Brazilian restaurants here are Churrascarias, which is a speciality of southern Brazil. Vatapá on the other hand, hails from the north, where African influence is much stronger. Here are a few simple Vatapá recipes that one can try at home. They have been modified to fit the Singaporean kitchen. Each recipe serves 6 people.

Vatapá (The Original Vatapá Recipe)

Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large white onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, drained
- 1/2 cup chinese dried shrimps (hay bee), ground till fine in a blender, and pre fried in oil till golden and fragrant (remember to strain off all the oil after frying first)
- 1/2 cup creamy (not chunky) peanut butter
- 2 cups hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (the western, not japanese type)
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 500g to 750g frozen raw prawns (shrimps). Thawed, peeled and deveined. Make sure they are raw
- black pepper to taste, salt to taste if you feel that the stew is still not salty enough from using stock cubes
- 3 tablespoons palm margarine such as Planta, melted in a microwave, cooled and mixed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon yellow food colouring (do not omit this ingredient)

Place the onion, ground dried shrimps, garlic and jalapeño peppers in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Add a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep dish saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the stock and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in breadcrumbs and black pepper. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and coconut cream. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so, until shrimp is cooked through. But not overcooked. Remove from heat, stir in the planta and food colouring mixture. Taste the stew and add salt if still necessary. Serve hot.


Vatapá de Galinha (Chicken Vatapá) 

Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large white onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, drained
- 1/2 cup chinese dried shrimps (hay bee), ground till fine in a blender, and pre fried in oil till golden and fragrant (remember to strain off all the oil after frying first)
- 1/2 cup creamy (not chunky) peanut butter
- 2 cups hot water mixed with 2 chicken stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (the western, not japanese type)
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 750g to 1kg frozen skinless chicken breast meat. Thawed, boiled and shredded.
- black pepper to taste, salt to taste if you feel that the stew is still not salty enough from using stock cubes
- 3 tablespoons palm margarine such as Planta, melted in a microwave, cooled and mixed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon yellow food colouring (do not omit this ingredient)

Place the onion, ground dried shrimps, garlic and jalapeño peppers in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Add a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep dish saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the stock and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in breadcrumbs and black pepper. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and coconut cream. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so, until shrimp is cooked through. But not overcooked. Remove from heat, stir in the planta and food colouring mixture. Taste the stew and add salt if still necessary. Serve hot.


Vatapá de Peixe (Fish Vatapá)

Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large white onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, drained
- 1/2 cup chinese dried shrimps (hay bee), ground till fine in a blender, and pre fried in oil till golden and fragrant (remember to strain off all the oil after frying first)
- 1/2 cup creamy (not chunky) peanut butter
- 2 cups hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (the western, not japanese type)
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 750g to 1kg firm white-fleshed fish fillets (such as red snapper), cut into chunks
- black pepper to taste, salt to taste if you feel that the stew is still not salty enough from using stock cubes
- 3 tablespoons palm margarine such as Planta, melted in a microwave, cooled and mixed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon yellow food colouring (do not omit this ingredient)

Place the onion, ground dried shrimps, garlic and jalapeño peppers in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Add a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep dish saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the stock and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in breadcrumbs and black pepper. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the fish and coconut cream. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so, until shrimp is cooked through. But not overcooked. Remove from heat, stir in the planta and food colouring mixture. Taste the stew and add salt if still necessary. Serve hot.

* important note: The reason why Planta with food colouring is so important is because any authentic Vatapá will contain Dendê oil. A type of palm oil that originates in Africa. It has an extremely strong taste and stains any neutral coloured food yellow. Dendê oil is very common in north and north-eastern Brazilian cooking but is almost impossible to get in Singapore. Hence, we chose Planta as it is stronger in taste and smell than our local palm oil. And yellow food colouring as it will give the dish its desired colour. Do not be fooled by the deep yellow sheen in plain, melted Planta. The yellow colour from it is not strong enough to colour the stew.