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Brazilian

Moqueca baiana

Non-vegetarian

Chunks of firm white fish gently stewed with tomatoes, peppers and onion in coconut milk and golden red palm oil, finished with lime and cilantro.

Moqueca baiana is a Brazilian stew, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with white fish fillet, coconut milk and red palm oil. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
20 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
484

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the fish with lime juice (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and 1 tsp salt and leave to marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Keep the fish refrigerated while it marinates.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Oil a wide pot with the olive oil (opens in a new tab). Layer half the onion (opens in a new tab), peppers and tomato (opens in a new tab), lay the fish on top, then cover with the remaining vegetables.

  3. Step 3

    Pour over the coconut milk (opens in a new tab), add the chilli if using and the remaining salt. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Simmer covered, without stirring (shake the pot instead), until the fish flakes, then drizzle in the palm oil (opens in a new tab) and cook 2 minutes more.

    • 15 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Fish is done when it is opaque and flakes easily (63 °C).

  5. Step 5

    Scatter with cilantro (opens in a new tab) and serve from the pot.

    • 1 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Bahia, Brazil · Well documentedMore food from Brazil
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Marinated / cured
Taste
creamy, fresh, citrusy, savoury
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot
Cook more with
White fish fillet · Coconut milk · Red palm oil · Lime juice · Garlic · Onion
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom white fish fillet

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

484 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 509 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 29%
  • Carbohydrate 11%
  • Fat 59%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy484 kcal95 kcal
Protein36.7 g7.2 g
Carbohydrate14.2 g2.8 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat32.7 g6.4 g
Saturated fat23 g4.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol108 mg21 mg
Sodium1324 mg260 mg
Salt equivalent3.3 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1213 mg
Calcium
71 mg
Iron
4.3 mg
Magnesium
110 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
141 µg
Vitamin C
84 mg
Vitamin D
1 µg
Vitamin B12
3.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
78 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: fresh red chilli.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Traditionally cooked and served in a clay pot, which holds a gentle, even heat.

Common mistakes

  • Stirring breaks the fish into shreds — swirl the pot gently instead.

Serve with

  • Serve with white rice, farofa and pirão (a fish-broth porridge).

Storage

  • Best fresh; refrigerate leftovers up to 1 day.

Reheating

  • Warm gently without boiling.

Variations

  • Moqueca capixaba (Brazil): The Espírito Santo style, made with olive oil and annatto instead of dendê and coconut milk.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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