Moqueca is a traditional Brazilian fish stew, using tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime juice, coconut milk and coriander. I’ve never had the chance to try an authentic Bahia Moqueca yet. But the closest I had was probably when I tried out Capsicana’s Brazilian Chilli & Coconut cooking sauce. That sauce and recipe gave me a brief idea of how a Moqueca tastes like and I was instantly really inspired by the flavours.
The flavours of a Moqueca Fish Stew plays really well on the palate. It’s incredibly tangy with a little piquant touch of spice. For the recipe, I used codfish fillets but any other firm white fish varieties would do the job just fine.
I made this for iftar this Ramadan. Its tart and tangy flavours are appetising and stimulating to break fast with. I like to serve it with rice, letting the grains soak up the sauce and making a hearty satisfying dish. Crusty bread is another alternative for serving as well.
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 large Onion, chopped
- 250g Cod Fish Fillets
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 can Chopped Tomatoes
- 200ml Coconut Milk
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Fresh Coriander leaves
How to make:
The recipe is rather simple to make. Start by marinating the fish fillets with minced garlic, salt & pepper, and lime juice. Set aside as you prep for the other ingredients.
Chop up one large onion. Then heat a pan with 2 tbsp of Olive Oil. Cook the onions until softened and golden in colour.
Stir in the red chilli flakes and paprika. Also season with generous amount of salt and pepper.
Next, stir in the chopped tomatoes and chilli powder. Bring to a boil and let it cook until slightly reduced. Stir in some fresh coriander leaves.
Scoop out half of the tomato mixture. Set aside for a quick moment. Layer the fish fillets into the pan, pouring in the marinade altogether.
Then top off the fish fillets with the remaining tomato mixture that’s been set aside.
Add in the coconut milk. Turn down the heat and cover with a lid, letting it simmer for 15 minutes.
Afterwards, adjust seasoning to your taste (you’d probably need more salt, and/or lime juice). Give it a quick mix and then garnish with remaining fresh coriander leaves.
Serve immediately with rice and/or crusty bread.
Moqueca Tomato Coconut Milk Fish Stew
Ingredients
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Onion chopped
- 250 g Fish Fillets
- 1 can Chopped Tomatoes
- 200 mL Coconut Milk
- 1 Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Rice or Crusty Bread to serve
Instructions
- Briefly marinade fish with chopped garlic, lime juice and salt & pepper. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook chopped onions until softened.
- Stir in chilli flakes, paprika, and season with generous amount of salt & pepper.
- Add in chopped tomatoes and chilli powder. Bring to boil and let cook until slightly reduced. Stir in half the coriander leaves. Remove half of the tomato mixture from the pan, set aside.
- Layer the marinated fish fillets into the pan, pouring in the marinade altogether as well. Top off the fish fillets with the remaining tomato mixture.
- Pour in coconut milk. Reduce heat and cover, let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Taste & adjust seasonings (more salt probably). Garnish with remaining coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or crusty bread.
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