White fish simmered in a vibrant coconut milk and palm oil sauce with peppers and tomato, a Bahian coastal classic.
Moqueca comes from Bahia in northeastern Brazil, a region with strong Afro-Brazilian culinary influence, where dende (palm oil) and coconut milk combine to give the stew its distinctive orange color and rich, slightly nutty flavor. Firm white fish is marinated briefly in lime juice and garlic before being layered with sliced peppers, onion and tomato in a wide, shallow clay pot traditionally used for the dish, then simmered gently in coconut milk until the fish is just cooked through. A drizzle of dende oil stirred in at the very end gives the stew its characteristic color and a distinct flavor found in few other cuisines, traditionally served with white rice and a side of farofa to soak up the vibrant sauce.
Serves 4
Toss fish fillets with lime juice, half the garlic and salt; let marinate 20 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a wide, shallow pan and cook onion, peppers and remaining garlic until just softened, about 8 minutes.
Layer half the vegetable mixture in the pan, top with the marinated fish, then layer the tomatoes and remaining vegetables over the fish.
Pour the coconut milk over everything and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and simmer gently 15-18 minutes until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily.
Simmer gently rather than boiling hard — a rolling boil can break the fish apart and make the coconut milk separate.
Stir in the dende oil and half the cilantro just before serving.
Serve hot over white rice, garnished with remaining cilantro.
Use a firm white fish that holds together during a gentle simmer, such as snapper, halibut or grouper.
Add the dende oil only at the very end — it's meant to flavor and color the finished stew, not cook down with everything else.
Simmer gently throughout; a hard boil can cause the coconut milk to separate and the fish to fall apart.
Moqueca capixaba, from Espirito Santo, omits the coconut milk and dende oil for a lighter, tomato-forward version.
Shrimp can replace or be added alongside the fish for a mixed seafood moqueca.
A vegetarian version uses hearts of palm and extra vegetables instead of fish.
Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container; reheat gently over low heat to avoid overcooking the fish further.
Moqueca reflects the strong Afro-Brazilian culinary heritage of Bahia, where ingredients like dende oil and coconut milk, brought through the transatlantic slave trade and West African cooking traditions, became deeply woven into the region's identity.
Yes, though you'll lose the distinctive color and flavor; some cooks use a mix of annatto oil and regular oil as an approximation.
A wide, shallow skillet or saute pan works just as well for the simmering process, even without the traditional cookware.
The heat was likely too high — keep the simmer gentle throughout to prevent the coconut milk from breaking.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
