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Calulu
Dried and fresh fish stew
Calulu: Luanda's palm-oil stew of dried and fresh fish with okra, tomato and greens
Calulu is what Luanda families cook when the whole family comes for Sunday lunch, and the Ilha's fish sellers know the order by heart: a piece of dried fish for depth, a firm fresh fish for sweetness. The two are layered in a pot with onion, tomato, okra, aubergine and sweet potato leaves, then simmered in red palm oil until the sauce turns silky from the okra and tastes of the sea, smoke and greens all at once. It is served with funge, feijão de óleo de palma and a little hot sauce. Salted dried fish needs a long soak to draw out the salt, so start it the day before; skipping that step is the classic way to ruin the pot. Chef's tip: lay the fresh fish on top and leave it alone, shaking the pot rather than stirring, so the pieces stay whole.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 9 oz dried salted fish (salt cod or dried catfish)soaked in cold water in the fridge for 24 hours, water changed 3–4 times
- 1 ⅛ lb firm white fish fillets (grouper, hake or tilapia)skinned, cut in 5 cm pieces
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
For the stew
- ¼ cup red palm oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 4 ripe tomatoessliced
- 1 small auberginecut in 2 cm chunks
- 7 oz okratops trimmed, cut in half
- 5 ½ oz sweet potato leavestough stalks removed, or spinach
- 1 fresh red chillisliced
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ½ tsp saltadd only after tasting
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 9 oz dried salted fish (salt cod or dried catfish), pull out any bones and skin, and break it into large flakes. Taste a flake: it should be pleasantly salty, not harsh; if harsh, soak 2 hours more.
Step 2: Toss the 1 ⅛ lb firm white fish fillets (grouper, hake or tilapia) with the 2 tbsp lemon juice and half the 2 cloves garlic and keep it covered in the fridge while you start the stew.
15 minStep 3: Warm the ¼ cup red palm oil in a wide, heavy pot over a low-medium heat and soften half the 1 onions with the rest of the 2 cloves garlic until translucent.
8 minStep 4: Layer in the rest of the 1 onions, the 4 ripe tomatoes, 1 small aubergine, 7 oz okra, 1 fresh red chilli and the dried fish flakes. Pour in the 1 ¾ cups water.
Step 5: Cover and simmer over a low heat, shaking the pot now and then, until the aubergine is soft and the okra has made the sauce slightly silky.
20 minStep 6: Lay the 5 ½ oz sweet potato leaves on top and the marinated fresh fish over them, with any juices. Cover again.
1 minStep 7: Simmer very gently, shaking the pot but not stirring, until the fresh fish is opaque all the way through and flakes easily at the centre with a fork.
12 minStep 8: Taste the sauce and add ½ tsp salt only if it needs it. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve from the pot with funge.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does calulu take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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