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Caruru
Caruru: Bahian okra stew thickened with dried shrimp, cashews, peanuts and dendê oil
Every 27 September, homes across Salvador and the Recôncavo cook huge pots of caruru for the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, and children are fed first; the rest of the year it turns up at acarajé stalls and on Bahian Sunday tables next to vatapá, rice and xinxim. Okra is chopped very small and cooked down with a paste of dried shrimp, toasted cashews and peanuts, ginger and onion, then finished with dendê oil until it is thick, glossy and gently sticky, nutty and faintly of the sea. Serve it with white rice, farofa de dendê and acarajé or abará. Most people make the mistake of slicing the okra into big rounds; cut tiny it melts into the sauce instead of sitting in slimy chunks. For a vegetarian caruru, skip the shrimp and use 40 g more of each nut. Chef's tip: toast the cashews and peanuts in a dry pan until they smell of popcorn before grinding them; it makes the stew taste deeper and less green.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
To finish
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ⅓ lb okra with 1 lime and leave for 10 minutes; it cuts down the slime. Rinse briefly and drain well.
10 minStep 2: Toast 2 ⅛ oz unsalted cashews and 2 ⅛ oz unsalted peanuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, shaking the pan, until golden and fragrant.
4 minStep 3: Grind the nuts with 2 ½ oz dried shrimp, 2 onions, 3 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp fresh ginger in a food processor to a coarse, damp paste, adding a splash of the 1 ¾ cups water if it sticks.
Step 4: Warm 2 tbsp dendê (red palm) oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium heat and fry the paste for 5 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasty and darkens slightly.
5 minStep 5: Add the okra and the rest of the water, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered on a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't catch, until the okra is soft and the stew is thick enough for a spoon to leave a trail.
20 minStep 6: Stir in the remaining 1 oz dried shrimp and 2 tbsp dendê (red palm) oil and cook for 5 more minutes until the oil sits glossy on top. Season with ½ tsp salt.
5 minStep 7: Scatter over 2 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 malagueta or bird's eye chilli if using, and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does caruru take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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