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Abará
Abará: Bahian black-eyed pea parcels with dendê oil and dried shrimp, steamed in banana leaves
Abará is the steamed sister of acarajé, sold from the same wooden trays by the baianas in white lace who set up on the corners of Salvador's Pelourinho, Rio Vermelho and the Barra seafront. The batter is identical, black-eyed peas skinned and ground with onion and dried shrimp, but instead of hitting hot dendê it is wrapped in banana leaf and steamed, so it comes out soft, dense and sunset-orange, tasting of palm oil, sea and pulses. Baianas split it open and fill it with vatapá, caruru, vinagrete and a few whole shrimp; at home it is lovely with just a spoonful of pepper sauce. Plan ahead: the peas need soaking overnight. The usual mistake is leaving the skins on, which makes the parcels grey, gritty and heavy. For a vegetarian version, leave out the shrimp and add a pinch more salt. Chef's tip: beat the paste hard with a wooden spoon for a few minutes before wrapping; the air you work in is what keeps abará light rather than rubbery.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain 1 ⅛ lb dried black-eyed peas and cover with fresh cold water. Rub handfuls hard between your palms so the skins slip off and float, tip the water and loose skins away, and repeat until almost every pea is white.
15 minStep 2: Soak 2 ⅞ oz dried shrimp in warm water for 10 minutes to draw out some salt, then drain. Set 12 of the best whole shrimp aside for the tops.
10 minStep 3: Blitz the skinned peas with 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp fresh ginger in a food processor in two batches, adding up to 100 ml of water, until you have a smooth, thick paste that holds its shape on a spoon.
5 minStep 4: Grind the rest of the shrimp to a coarse powder and stir it into the paste with ¼ cup dendê (red palm) oil and 1 tsp salt. Beat with a wooden spoon for 3–4 minutes until the paste turns paler orange and slightly fluffy.
4 minStep 5: Pass each piece of 6 banana leaves quickly over a gas flame or a hot dry pan until it turns glossy and supple, then wipe it clean. Softened leaves fold without splitting.
5 minStep 6: Spoon 3 heaped tablespoons of paste into the middle of each leaf, press a reserved shrimp on top and fold into a snug rectangular parcel, seam side down.
Step 7: Lay the parcels in a steamer over simmering water, cover and steam on a medium heat for 40 minutes, topping up the water if needed, until the abará feels firm and springy and a knife pushed into one comes out clean.
40 minStep 8: Rest for 5 minutes, then unwrap at the table, split each abará and spoon over 7 oz Brazilian vinagrete salsa and 2 tbsp malagueta pepper sauce if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does abará take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 50 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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