Recipe OF THE WEEK
MOQUECA DE PALMITOS
Serves 6
300ml veg stock 360g sliced peppers 250g fine green beans 100g spinach 1 tin of palm hearts, sliced 200g roasted butternut
FOR THE MOQUECA SAUCE:
½ red bullet chilli 15g fresh coriander 15g fresh flat leaf parsley 1½ tbsp palm oil 2 tbsp pureed ginger 1 tbsp pureed garlic 1 large onion, diced 1 tsp veg stock paste 4 tomatoes, diced 50ml fresh lime juice 185ml coconut milk 95g creamed coconut 230ml water 1 large pinch salt 1 pinch black pepper
FOR THE FAROFA:
50g desiccated coconut 50g Pan flour (online or at Las Iguanas) Knob of butter
1 Start by making the moqueca sauce. Chop the red chilli, the coriander and the parsley.
2 Heat the palm oil in a pan and cook the ginger, garlic, chilli and onion until translucent, then add the veg stock paste. 3 Add the tomatoes and cook slowly until soft. 4 Add the lime juice, coconut milk, creamed coconut, coriander, parsley and water. Cook for about 15 minutes and season.
5 Make the farofa. Toast the desiccated coconut and Pan flour in a pan until slightly turning colour. Add the butter and gently fry.
6 Put the veg stock into a pan with the peppers and butternut and bring to the boil.
7 Simmer for a minute or two, add the fine green beans, spinach and palm hearts.
8 Add the moqueca sauce and bring to simmer. The sauce should not be runny.
9 Serve with rice and the crunchy coconut farofa. Fried sweet plantain is a nice addition.