Brazilian

Serving

Bobó de Camarão (Brazilian Shrimp and Cassava Stew)

Name: Bobó de Camarão (Brazilian Shrimp and Cassava Stew)
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 2 lbs cassava (yuca), peeled and chopped; 2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 limes, juiced; 1 tbsp salt; 2 tbsp dendê (palm) oil; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 cup coconut milk; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; Cooked white rice, for serving

A rich Bahian stew of shrimp simmered in a creamy cassava purée colored with dendê palm oil and coconut milk, fragrant with cilantro.

55 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

19 min prep

30 min cook

Contains common allergens

Seafood Shellfish

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Instructions

7 steps

1
Toss the shrimp with lime juice and half the salt, and set aside to marinate.
2
Boil the cassava in salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
3
Purée the cooked cassava with the reserved liquid until smooth; set aside.
4
In a large pot, heat the dendê oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes.
5
Add the tomatoes and cook until they break down, about 5 minutes, then stir in the cassava purée and coconut milk.
6
Add the marinated shrimp and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes until just cooked through.
7
Stir in cilantro and remaining salt to taste, and serve over white rice.

Bobó de Camarão (Brazilian Shrimp and Cassava Stew) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Bobó de Camarão (Brazilian Shrimp and Cassava Stew) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

64/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 52

Budget-friendly 60

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 53

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

370

Calories

41 g

Protein

22 g

Carbs

15 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Bobo de camarao comes from Bahia, the Afro-Brazilian coastal state where dende oil and coconut milk define a whole school of cooking distinct from the rest of the country. The dish traces back to West African cassava stews brought over during the slave trade, adapted in Bahia with local shrimp and the region's signature red palm oil.

Listahan note

This version purees the cassava into the stew base itself rather than serving it as a side, which is what gives real bobo its characteristic thick, creamy texture instead of a thinner shrimp soup.

Technique cues

Pureeing the boiled cassava with its own cooking liquid, rather than water, is what builds the stew's body - the starch in the cooking liquid thickens as it cooks with the coconut milk.
Dende oil's distinct red color and slightly funky, nutty flavor is what separates Bahian cooking from the rest of Brazil - a generic substitute changes the dish's identity more than any other swap here.
Adding the shrimp only in the last 6-8 minutes keeps them tender - shrimp muscle fibers seize and toughen fast once they hit a simmering liquid, so they go in only after the base is fully built.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Marinate the shrimp in lime juice while the cassava boils, so both components are ready around the same time.
Make-ahead: The pureed cassava base can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, then reheated gently before adding the shrimp fresh.
Leftover move: Reheat leftover stew (without fresh shrimp) and add freshly cooked shrimp just before serving to avoid rubbery reheated seafood.
Cleanup rhythm: Let the dende oil cool in the pot before wiping it out, since it stains lighter-colored cloths and sponges.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

cassava (yuca), peeled and chopped

stew thickener and base

Purpose: pureed cassava gives bobo its signature thick, almost creamy texture without any dairy or flour

Handling: boil until very tender, then puree with reserved cooking liquid until smooth

Adaptation: a mix of potato and a spoonful of cornstarch slurry can mimic the thickness, though the flavor will be milder and less earthy

medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

main protein

Purpose: shrimp cook quickly and their brininess balances the rich, coconut-and-palm-oil base

Handling: marinate briefly in lime juice and salt, then add only at the end so they do not overcook

Adaptation: firm white fish cut into chunks works for a pescatarian variation, added in the same final simmering step

dende (palm) oil

signature Bahian flavor and color

Purpose: this red palm oil is the defining ingredient of Bahian cuisine, giving the stew its orange hue and a distinct nutty, slightly smoky depth

Handling: heat gently before sauteing the aromatics so it doesn't scorch, since it burns at a lower temperature than neutral oils

Adaptation: a mix of annatto-infused oil and a neutral oil approximates the color, but true dende flavor has no real substitute

coconut milk

body and richness

Purpose: coconut milk rounds out the pureed cassava base into a silky, rich stew typical of Bahian cooking

Handling: stir in after the cassava puree is incorporated, then simmer gently rather than boil to avoid it splitting

Adaptation: a lighter coconut milk works for a thinner stew, though full-fat is closer to the traditional richness

chopped fresh cilantro

fresh finish

Purpose: a handful stirred in at the end adds brightness against the rich, oily base

Handling: chop just before serving and stir in off the heat so it stays vibrant

Adaptation: chopped green onion tops can add fresh color if cilantro is not preferred

Technique notes

Reserve the cassava cooking liquid before draining - it carries starch that thickens the pureed base, and using plain water instead makes a noticeably thinner stew.
Keep the coconut milk at a gentle simmer, not a boil, once it's added - boiling coconut milk hard can cause it to separate into a grainy, oily texture.
Add the shrimp in a single layer if possible so they cook evenly in the short 6-8 minute window, rather than piling them into the center of the pot.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Naturally gluten-free as written; confirm the coconut milk brand doesn't add wheat-based stabilizers.
Shellfish-free direction: This dish contains shrimp as its defining ingredient - substitute firm white fish chunks like cod for a shellfish-free version, added the same way in the last few minutes.
Lower-sodium direction: Cut the added salt in the marinade and stew by about a third, since the shrimp and coconut milk both carry some natural saltiness.
Weeknight shortcut: Use frozen pre-peeled shrimp and canned coconut milk to cut prep time, and puree the cassava in a blender rather than by hand for speed.

Serve alongside

Cooked white rice
Farofa
Sliced ripe plantain
Pao de queijo
Chilled white wine like a Brazilian Chardonnay
Caipirinha
Coconut water for a non-alcoholic pairing

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days
Reheat gently over low heat, stirring often, to keep the coconut base from splitting
Freeze the cassava-coconut base without the shrimp for up to 2 months, adding freshly cooked shrimp after thawing and reheating

Equipment

Large pot
Blender or immersion blender
Fine-mesh strainer (for cassava liquid, if needed)
Wooden spoon

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