Vatapá Recipe: Creamy Brazilian Shrimp Coconut Stew 2026

Vatapá is the kind of dish that brings people together. It is especially popular at celebrations, family gatherings, parties, or on those days when you simply want to treat yourself to something special.

Besides the vatapá de pão, the most common version and the one we make here with day-old bread, you can also find vatapá made with flour, and there are even versions that use fish or chicken instead of seafood.

The interesting thing about vatapá is that it changes depending on who makes it. Some prefer it softer and creamier, others like it denser and bolder. Some make it very spicy, some almost sweet, but everyone agrees on one thing: without dendê, there is no vatapá.

Dendê, also known as palm oil, is a very common ingredient in Brazilian cooking and, beyond flavor, it gives the dish its color. It is not the easiest ingredient to find, though it can be found in some large supermarkets and in Latin American, African and even Asian specialty stores, both physical and online. If you cannot find it, you can use a vegetable oil of your choice mixed with paprika or turmeric for color.

Another key ingredient in this recipe is dried shrimp, which are salted and sun-dried shrimp used a lot in Bahian cooking for their intense flavor. Here, the alternative is much easier. If you do not have dried shrimp, a few well-cooked, blended fresh shrimp will do.

Finally, as we mentioned, sometimes it is given a spicy kick and sometimes not. When it is, pimenta de cheiro, a chili typical of the region, is usually used. However, any other chili to taste will work. The result with all these changes will be different, of course, but it will still be delicious without losing its Bahian spirit. So, let's get to it!

Ingredients for Vatapá

Serves 4

• 250 g day-old bread
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 600 ml water
• 400 g raw shrimp (whole, with heads and shells)
• 75 g roasted unsalted peanuts
• 75 g cashews
• 1 onion
• 1 piece pimenta de cheiro or another type of chili (optional, to taste)
• 1 small piece ginger (about the size of a garlic clove)
• 100 ml dendê oil (or cooking oil with turmeric or paprika)
• Salt to taste

How to Make Vatapá Step by Step

1. Soak the Bread

First, tear 250 g of day-old bread into pieces and place them in a large bowl. Pour 400 ml of coconut milk and 300 ml of water over the top, stir a little with a spoon to distribute it well and let the bread soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

2. Peel the Shrimp

While the bread soaks, peel 400 g of raw shrimp and remove the digestive tract. Set the bodies aside in one bowl and the heads and shells aside in another.

3. Make the Shrimp Broth

In a pot, heat the remaining 300 ml of water and add the shrimp heads and shells. Let them cook over low heat for about 15 minutes so they release all their flavor.

4. Blend the Broth

Then transfer the broth along with the heads and shells to a blender jar. Blend for a couple of minutes.

5. Strain the Broth

Next, strain the mixture through a fine stainless steel sieve or a cloth strainer to get a smooth shrimp broth.

6. Blend with Aromatics and Nuts

Return that broth to the blender jar and add a piece of ginger the size of a garlic clove, 1 chopped onion, 75 g of roasted unsalted peanuts and 75 g of cashews. At this point you can add the pimenta de cheiro or your chosen chili to taste. Blend again until you have a smooth cream with no pieces.

7. Blend with the Soaked Bread and Half the Shrimp

Now combine this cream with the bread you left soaking and blend again. Depending on the size of your blender, this step will need to be done in 2 or 3 batches. In the last batch, add half of the peeled raw shrimp and blend.

8. Add the Remaining Shrimp and Dendê Oil

As you finish blending each batch, pour it into a large pot or frying pan. Once everything is blended, add the rest of the peeled whole shrimp and 100 ml of dendê oil. If you do not have dendê, you can use olive oil with a little paprika or turmeric, though the color and aroma will change.

9. Cook Until Thickened

Heat over medium-low heat and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon almost constantly, because vatapá sticks easily. Cook it until it thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pot, though the final texture is up to you. Finally, taste and adjust the salt and, if you want a deeper color, add another splash of dendê.

10. Serve the Vatapá

Once ready, divide the vatapá among serving bowls and, optionally, decorate with cooked shrimp, a few strips of red bell pepper and some fresh cilantro leaves. Serve with white rice or use it as a filling for acarajés.

Tips for the Best Vatapá

Dendê Is Essential

Dendê oil, also called palm oil, is what gives vatapá its signature color and flavor, and it is a staple of Brazilian cooking. If you cannot find it, use a vegetable oil mixed with paprika or turmeric for color, keeping in mind the aroma and taste will be different.

Swap in Dried Shrimp

Dried shrimp, which are salted and sun-dried, are used a lot in Bahian cooking for their intense flavor. If you do not have any, well-cooked fresh shrimp blended into the mixture make a perfectly good substitute.

Make It Your Own

Vatapá changes from cook to cook: some like it softer and creamier, others denser and bolder, some spicy and some almost sweet. For heat, pimenta de cheiro or any chili to taste works well, and you can also make it with fish or chicken instead of seafood.

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