Bahian shrimp stew thickened with silky cassava, coconut milk, dendê oil, tomatoes, peppers, coriander, and lime
Bobó de camarão is a Bahian shrimp stew whose body comes from cooked cassava blended with coconut milk. Tomatoes, onions, peppers, coriander, and red dendê oil connect the creamy base to the Afro-Brazilian cooking traditions of Bahia. The shrimp are marinated briefly with lime and added at the end, protecting their tenderness while their shells provide a quick stock for the cassava.
- Prep
- 40 mins
- Cook
- 55 mins
- Rest
- 10 mins
- Marinate
- 15 mins
- Total
- 1 hour 50 mins
- Serves
- 6
The recipe
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Before you start
Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells. Mix the tails with lime juice, grated garlic, salt, and pepper for 15 minutes under refrigeration. Remove the tough central fibers from the cassava before and again after cooking. Wear an apron when handling dendê oil because its orange color stains.
Ingredients
For the shrimp and stock
For the cassava purée
For the stew
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Heavy saucepan paid link
- Wide heavy pot paid link
- Fine-mesh sieve paid link
- Blender or immersion blender paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Cutting board paid link
- Wooden spoon paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
Method
Put the shrimp shells, water, roughly chopped onion, and coriander stems in a saucepan.
Bring to a simmer, cook for 20 minutes, then strain. Measure 1.2 liters stock.
Add the cassava to the stock and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes until completely tender and beginning to split.
Drain the cassava, reserving 500 ml stock. Remove any remaining woody fibers.
Blend the cassava with the coconut milk and enough reserved stock to make a smooth, thick purée.
Heat the dendê oil in a wide heavy pot. Add the diced onion and peppers and cook for 8 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, and finger chili and cook for 10 minutes until thick and glossy.
Stir in the cassava purée and remaining reserved stock as needed. Simmer gently for 8 minutes, stirring from the bottom.
Add the marinated shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until just opaque.
Fold in the spring onions and coriander, adjust the salt, rest for 10 minutes, and serve.
Chef’s notes
Cassava must be fully peeled and thoroughly cooked before eating. Remove the firm woody core from each piece.
Blend hot cassava carefully in batches with the lid vented, or use an immersion blender in the pot.
Dendê oil has a strong color and flavor. Measure it rather than pouring freely.
Add the shrimp only after the cassava base is ready; overcooking makes them firm and dry.
Tips and variations
Frozen peeled cassava is convenient and often already trimmed, but inspect every piece for the central fiber.
The cassava purée should be spoonable, not gluey. Loosen it with reserved shrimp stock as needed.
Use a mixture of coriander and spring onion for the fresh Bahian finish.
For a milder palm-oil flavor, use 60 ml dendê and 30 ml neutral oil, although the color will be lighter.
Serve with
Spoon the orange-gold bobó into a wide serving bowl, keeping several shrimp visible on top. Finish with coriander and spring onion and serve rice separately.
Storage
Cool rapidly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently, adding a little water because cassava thickens when chilled. Do not boil the shrimp repeatedly. Freeze the cassava base without shrimp for up to 2 months.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 690 kcal
- Calories
- 36 g
- Protein
- 61 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 970 mg
- Sodium
Allergens
Contains crustaceans. Coconut is classified as a tree nut in some labeling systems. Red palm oil and cassava are naturally free from gluten, but verify packaged ingredients.
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Questions
What is bobó de camarão?
It is a Bahian shrimp stew thickened with cassava and flavored with coconut milk and dendê oil.
Can I use yuca instead of cassava?
Yes. Yuca and cassava are names for the same root.
Is dendê oil essential?
It gives the characteristic color and Afro-Bahian flavor. Reducing it is possible, but omitting it changes the identity of the dish.
Why is my bobó too thick?
Cassava continues absorbing liquid. Stir in reserved stock or hot water until the stew is creamy and spoonable.
