Traditional Brazilian Abará

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waivio_hivecooking21 hours ago3 min read

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Abará is a delectable Brazilian dish hailing from Bahian cuisine. This savory steamed cake, made from black-eyed peas and rich with a medley of flavorful seasonings, is a feast for the senses. Wrapped in banana leaves, Abará captures the aromatic essence of traditional Bahian flavors. Perfect as an appetizer or snack, this dish brings the vibrant culture of Brazil to your table.

Ingredients

🌿 250g Massa de Abará, ground black-eyed peas
🍤 70g Dried Shrimp
🥜 20g Roasted Peanuts
🌰 25g Roasted Cashew Nuts
🌱 20g Cilantro
🥥 50 mL Coconut Milk
🧅 1 Medium Onion, chopped
🧴 2 tablespoons Palm Oil, Dendê da Bahia
🧂 5g Salt
🍃 Banana Leaves

Instructions

1- Prepare the seasoning paste:

Roughly chop the medium onion and add it to a Philips blender.
Combine 70g dried shrimp, 25g roasted cashew nuts, 20g roasted peanuts, and desired amount of cilantro in the blender.
Pour 50 mL coconut milk and blend until a thick, coarse paste forms. Add a bit of water if necessary for blending.

2- Mix with Abará dough:

In a stainless steel mixing bowl, combine the seasoning paste with 250g of massa de Abará.
Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly incorporate the paste with the dough.

3- Season and color:

Taste the mixture to gauge salt content from the shrimp, and add salt if needed.
Pour in 2 tablespoons of Dendê da Bahia palm oil and mix until the dough is evenly colored.

4- Wrap in banana leaves:

Ensure banana leaves are pliable, softening them over a flame if necessary.
Place a portion of abará dough onto the banana leaf and fold to create a secure packet.
Repeat until all dough is wrapped.

5- Steam:

Place the leaf-wrapped Abará in a steamer basket over boiling water.
Steam for 30-40 minutes until firm, checking readiness with a fork.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8-10
Equipment: Philips blender, stainless steel mixing bowls, generic pink plastic measuring spoons, wooden spoon, metal spoon, gas stove, aluminum/metal pot with steamer basket