Chef teaches acarajé recipe in celebration of Northeasterners’ Day | Press

Popular and one of the symbols of Bahian cuisine, this dish is also rich in umami taste.

October 2018 – Next Monday, the 8th, Northeasterners’ Day is celebrated. The date was created in 2009 to honor the traditions of people from Brazil’s Northeast and pays tribute to the centenary of the birth of Antônio Gonçalves da Silva (Patativa do Assaré), one of Brazil’s greatest popular poets.

To celebrate this special day, Lisiane Miura, chef and nutritionist at the Umami Committee, teaches a step-by-step recipe for delicious acarajé, a typical dish of Bahian cuisine. The chef explains that the diversity of ingredients used in this preparation releases mouth-watering aromas. “The Northeast, in addition to being rich in culture and natural landscapes, is a major gastronomic hub—and for anyone who wants to try (or miss) that Northeastern flavor, this recipe is ideal!”

Check out how to prepare this dish considered a national heritage:

INGREDIENTS

ACARAJÉ

• 500 g dried black-eyed peas
• 1 medium onion, cut into pieces
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 bottles of dendê (palm) oil (400 ml)

SAUCE

• 3 malagueta chilies, finely chopped
• ½ cup dried shrimp, peeled
• 1 cup dendê (palm) oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1½ tsp salt

METHOD

1. Start the day before: place the beans in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for at least 14 hours.
2. Drain and rub the beans between your palms to loosen and remove the skins.
3. In a blender, add the beans and onion and blend until a homogeneous paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and season with the salt.
4. In a small saucepan, heat the palm oil over medium heat and, using two large spoons, shape the acarajé fritters.
5. Fry in batches until golden (about 3 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels and set aside.
6. Make the sauce: blend the chilies and half of the dried shrimp in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
7. In a small saucepan, heat the palm oil over high heat and sauté the onion for about 3 minutes, until softened. Add the shrimp mixture, the remaining whole dried shrimp, and season with salt. Stir, remove from the heat, and let cool.
8. Cut each acarajé in half lengthwise and serve stuffed with the sauce.

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000 when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste on the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the persistence of taste for a few minutes after eating. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br and follow on facebook.com/ogostoumami and instagram.com/ogostoumami.