Brazilian recipe

Acarajé com Camarão

Name: Acarajé com Camarão
Prep time: 8 h 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 9 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Brazilian cuisine
Ingredients: 450 g dried black-eyed peas; 1500 ml cold water, for soaking; 1 small onion, quartered for the batter; 10 g fine salt; 900 ml red palm oil (dendê), for frying; 400 ml unsweetened coconut milk; 80 g roasted unsalted peanuts; 15 g fresh ginger, chopped; 20 ml red palm oil, for the filling; 15 g plain flour; 250 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; 15 ml olive oil, for the shrimp; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 180 g ripe tomatoes, finely diced; 80 g green bell pepper, finely diced; 80 g red onion, finely diced; 30 ml white vinegar; 15 g cilantro, chopped

Bahian black-eyed pea fritters fried in red palm oil, split and filled with nutty vatapá, sautéed shrimp and bright tomato vinaigrette.

Bahia, northeastern Brazil

Prep: 8 hr 40 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 9 hr 15 min
Servings: 12

Acarajé split open with vatapá, shrimp and tomato vinaigrette — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Ben Tavener from Curitiba, BrazilSource page · Original file · CC BY 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

450 g
dried black-eyed peas
1500 ml
cold water, for soaking
1
small onion, quartered for the batter
10 g
fine salt
900 ml
red palm oil (dendê), for frying
400 ml
unsweetened coconut milk
80 g
roasted unsalted peanuts
15 g
fresh ginger, chopped
20 ml
red palm oil, for the filling
15 g
plain flour
250 g
raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
15 ml
olive oil, for the shrimp
3
garlic cloves, minced
180 g
ripe tomatoes, finely diced
80 g
green bell pepper, finely diced
80 g
red onion, finely diced
30 ml
white vinegar
15 g
cilantro, chopped

Method

01
Soak the beans
Cover the black-eyed peas with cold water and soak for 8 hours until the skins loosen and the beans swell.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Remove skins and grind
Rub the beans between your hands to loosen the skins, rinse away the skins, then process the beans with the onion and salt until smooth. Beat the batter for 2 minutes to aerate it.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Make the vinaigrette
Mix the tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, vinegar, cilantro and a pinch of salt. Cover and chill for 30 minutes so the flavours sharpen.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Cook the nutty vatapá
Blend the coconut milk, peanuts, ginger and flour until smooth. Heat 20 ml red palm oil in a small pot, add the mixture and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until thick; set aside.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Sauté the shrimp
Heat the olive oil with the garlic, add the shrimp and cook for 3–5 minutes until pink, opaque and fully cooked. Cool slightly.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Fry the acarajé
Heat the remaining red palm oil in a deep pan to 175°C. Scoop 2–3 tablespoons batter per fritter and fry in batches for 5–6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Drain and split
Drain the fritters on a rack for 5 minutes. Split each one almost through the side, keeping a hinge for the filling.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Fill and serve immediately
Fill each warm acarajé with vatapá, shrimp and vinaigrette. Serve immediately while the fritter is crisp and the filling is warm.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Keep the filling cool and the shaped snacks dry before frying; a firm shell is easier to seal and less likely to burst.
Fry in batches with space around each piece so the oil temperature recovers and the crust browns evenly.

Common mistakes

Warm or wet filling can steam the crust from inside and cause seams to open in the oil.
Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and leaves a pale, greasy crust.

Substitutions

Use a neutral high-heat oil for frying; fragrant palm oil is especially important when the recipe identifies it as a defining flavour.
If breadcrumbs are unavailable, use fine dry cassava crumbs or another dry crumb with a similar absorbency.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Acarajé is a Bahian street food with deep Afro-Brazilian roots. The dish is traditionally fried in dendê and often sold by baianas de acarajé, with fillings that may include vatapá, shrimp and pepper sauces.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Acarajé - Bahia 2011 (7290756706).jpg — Photograph by Ben Tavener from Curitiba, Brazil; CC BY 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Brazilian recipes

Acarajé com Camarão

Ingredients

Method

Soak the beans

Remove skins and grind

Make the vinaigrette

Cook the nutty vatapá

Sauté the shrimp

Fry the acarajé

Drain and split

Fill and serve immediately

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

More Brazilian recipes

Feijoada

Moqueca Baiana

Pão de Queijo