Brazilian recipe

Bobó de Camarão

Name: Bobó de Camarão
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Brazilian cuisine
Ingredients: 700 g raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 limes, juiced; 1000 g cassava, peeled and cut into chunks; 1800 ml water, for boiling the cassava; 200 g yellow onion, chopped; 1 red bell pepper, chopped; 400 g ripe tomatoes, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 400 ml unsweetened coconut milk; 45 ml red palm oil (dendê); 15 g cilantro, chopped; 8 g fine salt; 600 g cooked white rice, to serve

Plump shrimp folded into a creamy cassava and coconut purée seasoned with tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and dendê oil.

Bahia, northeastern Brazil

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Servings: 4

Bobó de camarão with shrimp in creamy cassava coconut sauce — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Marcelo Träsel from Porto Alegre, BrasilSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

700 g
raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2
limes, juiced
1000 g
cassava, peeled and cut into chunks
1800 ml
water, for boiling the cassava
200 g
yellow onion, chopped
1
red bell pepper, chopped
400 g
ripe tomatoes, chopped
4
garlic cloves, minced
400 ml
unsweetened coconut milk
45 ml
red palm oil (dendê)
15 g
cilantro, chopped
8 g
fine salt
600 g
cooked white rice, to serve

Method

01
Season the shrimp
Toss the shrimp with the lime juice and 3 g salt. Cover and chill for 15 minutes while the cassava cooks.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Boil the cassava
Cover the cassava with the water and simmer for 20 minutes until completely tender. Drain, cool enough to handle, and remove the woody central fibres.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Sauté the vegetables
Heat 20 ml dendê in a wide pot. Cook the onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more until soft.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Blend the creamy base
Blend the cooked cassava, sautéed vegetables and coconut milk until smooth and thick. Add a splash of hot water only if the blender needs help.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Simmer the purée
Return the purée to the pot with the remaining 25 ml dendê. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Cook the shrimp gently
Add the shrimp and simmer for 3–5 minutes until pink, opaque and just cooked. Do not boil hard or the shrimp will toughen.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Finish and serve
Remove from the heat, fold in the cilantro and remaining salt, and rest for 5 minutes. Serve the bobó over white rice while the sauce is creamy and hot.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Use firm fish and add delicate seafood late; the sauce should simmer while the fish stays in distinct, moist pieces.
Arrange the pot so the seafood is mostly surrounded by liquid, then avoid vigorous stirring once fish has been added.

Common mistakes

Overcooking turns shrimp rubbery and makes fish crumble into the broth.
Salting seafood heavily before a long rest can draw out moisture; season lightly and adjust the finished sauce.

Substitutions

Replace firm white fish with another boneless firm-fleshed variety of similar thickness and start checking it early.
Coconut milk can be replaced with an unsweetened plant cream, though the aroma will be less traditional.

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

Bobó de camarão is a Bahian Afro-Brazilian dish shaped by cassava, coconut milk, dendê and seafood. The cassava purée provides body without relying on wheat flour.

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

Bobó de camarão.jpg — Photograph by Marcelo Träsel from Porto Alegre, Brasil; CC BY-SA 2.0.

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

Back to Brazilian recipes

Bobó de Camarão

Ingredients

Method

Season the shrimp

Boil the cassava

Sauté the vegetables

Blend the creamy base

Simmer the purée

Cook the shrimp gently

Finish and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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