STAY HOME & EAT – Homemade Brazilian Eats!

HEAR:

Click to go straight to this week’s delicious episode featuring authentic Brazilian Food from Claudinho’s Kitchen!
Click to listen/ download the podcast of the intro to our new Makan Kakis, Farah & Claudinho.
Click to listen/ download the podcast of the intro to Claudinho’s Kitchen.
Click to listen/ download the podcast of Farah & Claudinho’s brunch recommendation.

SEE:

picture courtesy of @claudinhos_kitchen on instagram

We have a couple of new Makan Kakis – literally! Meet husband & wife / Brazil-SG team, Claudinho & Farah Dawood de Morais, who are behind a fun little home business making delicious Brazilian food for pick-up or delivery. Welcome to Claudinho’s Kitchen, serving up soul food from Claudinho’s Brazilian heritage. Ingredients are halal & everything is prepared market-fresh to order. So far on their menu: Moqueca (seafood stew from Bahia), fluffy garlic rice and coxinha de frango (fried chicken puffs).

Ordering was simple – I sent them a WhatsApp message and picked up my food on the agreed date & time. But do order 2-3 days in advance, because the ingredients must be sourced fresh and cooked on the same day of pick-up/ delivery, so it requires a little time, especially for their best-selling Coxinha (pronounced “koh-sheen-nia”).

These are very popular street snacks that can be found just about everywhere in Brazil – in bakeries, bars, beaches and parties. Coxinha can best be described as similar to a croquette – golden brown, deep fried puffs filled with tender, shredded chicken in a fragrant tomato base.

After tasting it for myself, I know why it’s so popular! It’s such a delicious and handy snack you can munch on the go. Texturally, it was very interesting to me – a seasoned, lightly spiced chicken filling encased by a crunchy crumb coating that in itself had such depth. The outermost layer is crispy, but sink your teeth in further and it’s got this mochi-like chewiness, so you’ve got both crunch and a delightful springiness as well.

Plus, they look so cute – shaped like fat teardrops, or rather little chicken drumsticks! The moreish snacks were made even tastier by the accompanying Tchubarundera sauce, which I would describe as almost like a fresher, spicier Thousand Island. You can order them hot and freshly deep-fried, like I did, or opt for frozen and cook them yourself!

The dish Claudinho is proudest of though, is his Moqueca de Camarão. As the designated chef amongst his friends, whenever he serves this Brazilian seafood stew, it’s always a hit at dinner parties.

Different versions of Moqueca can be found depending where in Brazil you are. Claudinho’s is more Northern-style, with coconut milk for creaminess and the freshest, largest tiger prawns he can find at the market that day.

The gravy is tangy with tomato, rich yet refreshing, with a comforting coconut creaminess that bathes the crunchy, juicy prawns with lots of flavour. And paired with a fragrant side of fluffy garlic rice – heavenly. Even a small portion was very generous, enough to feed 3 in my family!