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Brazilian

Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Coconut Fish Stew)

A Bahian-style Brazilian fish stew with coconut milk, tomatoes, peppers, coriander, and dendê oil.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Coconut Fish Stew)

40 mintotal

35 min hands-on5 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes 5 minutes for the fish to rest after seasoning and 3 minutes for the stew to settle before serving.

Method

  1. Season the fish with lime juice and a little salt. Rest for 10 minutes while preparing the vegetables.

    10 min

  2. Warm half the dendê oil in a wide pan. Add onion and garlic, and cook until just softened without browning deeply.

  3. Layer in the tomato and red bell pepper, sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook for 4–5 minutes until juicy.

    4–5 min

  4. Pour in the coconut milk and bring it to a gentle simmer. Nestle the fish pieces into the sauce in one layer.

  5. Cover and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily.

    8–10 min

  6. Finish with the remaining dendê oil and coriander leaves. Rest for 3 minutes before serving so the sauce settles.

    3 min

How to tell it's done

The sauce should be creamy and orange-gold, with fish pieces that are tender but still intact.

Getting it right

Tip

Keep the simmer gentle after adding fish; a hard boil can make the fish dry and break the pieces.

What to serve it with

Serve with steamed rice or a simple cassava-flour side such as farofa.

Common mistakes

The fish breaks up into the sauce.
Lay the pieces in a single layer and do not stir once they are in. Moqueca is a layered stew — the pan is swirled rather than stirred, and the fish should arrive at the table in whole pieces.
The dendê overwhelms everything.
A tablespoon is plenty and half of it goes in at the end. Palm oil is intensely flavoured and colours the whole pot; used like an ordinary cooking oil it dominates the coconut and the fish.

Substitutions

  • Use any firm white fish fillet that can hold its shape while simmering.
  • If dendê oil is unavailable, a small amount of neutral oil can cook the stew, but the Bahian identity will be reduced.
  • For a milder finish, reduce the dendê oil slightly instead of increasing coconut milk.

Storing and reheating

Best the day it is made. It keeps two days in the fridge; reheat gently without boiling so the coconut milk holds and the fish stays whole. It does not freeze — white fish goes cottony.