- In a food processor, process the dried shrimp, peanuts and cashew nuts until you have a homogenous, finely-ground mixture. Dissolve the flour in half of the coconut milk and stir to completely mix, making sure there are no lumps. In a blender, combine the parsley, cilantro, chopped tomato and onions, and blend completely.
- Put the remaining half of the coconut milk in a large, heavy saucepan, and heat over medium heat. When the coconut milk is hot, but not boiling, slowly add the dissolved flour, stirring constantly. Then add the herb/tomato/onion mix and finally the ground shrimp and nuts, while still stirring constantly.
- Cook for a few minutes then add the vegetable and olive oils, the remaining half of the dried shrimp, salt to taste and the grated ginger. Increase heat and bring to a boil, continuing to stir to make sure the mixture doesn’t lump.
- Reduce heat and cook, constantly stirring until the mixture is thickened, smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick add additional coconut milk to thin it out; if it’s too thin, add a small amount of flour, dissolved in water or coconut milk.
- Let cool completely, the use as filling for acarajé.
Note: The Authentic recipe calls for Palm Oil (I used Vegetable oil.) I don’t recommend the use of Palm Oil. This is due the deforestation that the harvest of palm oil creates which results in loss of habitat of Orangutans in Asia.
