Moqueca Baiana (Fish Stew)
A Brazilian dinner built around white fish and coconut milk — on the table in 45 minutes. The macros do the talking: 34g protein, 12g carbs, and 34g fat in every 520-calorie serving. It scales cleanly if you are cooking for more than one.
✓ USDA-verified nutrition data
520 calories
34g protein
12g carbs
34g fat
3g fiber
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb White fish
- 1.5 cups Coconut milk
- 3 tbsp Red palm oil
- 1 Onion
- 2 Bell peppers
- 3 Tomatoes
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 Lime
- 0.5 cup Cilantro
- 2 tsp Salt
Steps
- Cut the fish into large 2-inch steaks and season with lime juice and salt. Rest 15 minutes while you prep — the acid firms the fish so it holds together in the stew.
- In a wide clay pot or Dutch oven, layer sliced onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes. This vegetable bed steams the fish gently and never needs stirring.
- Lay the fish over the vegetables and scatter the garlic over the top. Pour in the coconut milk — it should come halfway up the fish.
- Cover and simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily and the coconut milk has turned golden-orange.
- Drizzle the red palm oil over the top and shower with cilantro. The dendê oil gives moqueca its unmistakable color and earthy depth — do not substitute it.
- Serve straight from the pot with white rice and pirão on the side. Never stir a moqueca; shake the pot gently if you must move things around.
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