Bahian Dinner
Bahia is a state in the north-east of Brazil, having the city Salvador as its capital. Bahian food is unique and exotic even for Brazilians from other regions, and the reasons for this are rather historical. Salvador, being the first capital of Brazil and a major harbor, served as the first slave port in America. It is there where the African cultures met the Portuguese colonialist culture and together with the influence of the indigenous tribes created this unique result. Bahian food is spicy and colorful. The main ingredients used in the kitchen of Bahia are fish and seafood, manioc root, coconut milk, palm oil, red hot Malagueta peppers.
The following menu consists of a set of recipes for the most typical Bahian dishes. Most of the dishes are easy to prepare, and you can do some things in advance. Plan your preparations wisely: the black beans and the manioc root for shrimp bobo will need some time to get ready, so you can do some other things while they are cooking. The quindim needs about 6 hours in the fridge, so if you don't prepare it a day in advance, plan accordingly.
Menu
Shopping List (for 10 persons)
9 ripe tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
7 white onions
3 heads garlic
2 limes
1 1/2 cup Malagueta peppers
fresh ginger
500g (1 lbs 2 oz) manioc root
500g (1 lbs 2 oz) white corn beans
1 bunch coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 bunch parsley
12 eggs
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
3 cups coconut cream
1 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup manioc flour
1 Kg (2 lbs 3 oz) Basmati or jasmine rice
500g (1 lb 2 oz) black beans
6 slices white bread
2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
300g (10.5 oz) butter
1 L (2 pints) milk
1 Kg (2 lbs 3 oz) fresh crab meat
700g (1 lb 9 oz) shrimps in shell
800g (1 lb 12 oz) white sea fish, boneless
100g (3.5 oz) bacon
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1 cup palm oil (dendê)
olive oil
bay leaf
sugar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 banana leaves
Info & Comments
Total preparation time: 3 hrs
Preliminary preparations: Black beans and corn should be soaked for 12 hrs., the quindim can be prepared a day before, Malagueta sauce can be prepared well in advance
Difficulty level: Medium
Special equipment: Food processor, blender
