Brazilian Cuisine: Traditional Brazilian Food Recipes

Brazilian food is light, spicy and delicious. The Brazilian cuisine is characterized by its variety, and it reflects the diversity in culture and its people (Spaniards, Africans, Portuguese and Amerindians). Some traditional food recipes are:

Feijoada
Feijoada is considered to be the national dish of Brazil. It is a thick stew made from black turtle beans and a variety of salted pork and beef products. It's an intense and heavy preparation because besides containing stew meat and beans, it is served with rice, farofa, orange slices etc. Hence, it is mostly served for lunch and is followed by a nap. Feijoada is generally found in southeastern region of Brazil, also an industrial region.
Ingredients

1. 1 lb pork tenderloin
2. 1 lb black beans
3. few slices of bacon
4. 1 lb varied pork sausages
5. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6. Garlic, salt, chopped onions and bay leaves

Preparation

• Soak beans in water overnight, as this will make the beans easier to cook. Drain the beans and put in a pressure cooker. Add water, the water level should be 1 inch over the beans. Close the pressure cooker and put in medium heat for 20 minutes. The beans are ready.
• Now, add 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, salt, chopped onions, 5 or 6 bay leaves and cook for about 15 minutes.
• Cook slices of bacon and cubes of pork tenderloin with garlic and salt in a separate pan-fry.
• Add all the sliced sausages and stir at medium heat until all the water dries.
• Now, add the cooked meat to the pan with black beans.
• Cook for 10 minutes to let the meat soak in black beans; and your Feijoada is ready.

Serve Feijoada with white rice and collard greens.

Caipirinha
Caipirinha, known as national cocktail of Brazil, is made with cachaca, sugar and lime. Cachaca is a product of distillation of fermented sugarcane juice.
Ingredients

1. 1 lime quartered
2. 1 shot cachaca
3. 1 tablespoon sugar
4. ½ cup ice cubes with water

Preparation

• Place lime and sugar at the bottom of a glass.
• Crush and mash the lime using a wooden spoon.
• Pour liquor, add ice and stir well; Caipirinha is ready.

Picanha
Picanha is one of the famous traditional barbecue recipes (churrasco), containing white rice, farofa (seasoned manioc flour) and vinaigrette. It is tender beef which is grilled, the beef has the layer of fat which is removed during the cooking process. This dish is quite famous with foreign visitors.
Ingredients

1. 1 full piece of picanha
2. Rock salt
3. Garlic paste

Preparation

• Cut the picanha into about 2 inch-thick beefs.
• Rub the rock salt on the meat with or without garlic paste.
• Put the meat over the grill.
• Cook the meat to your preference.
• Later, skin out the outer layer and if needed, you can put the inner meat for more cooking. The dish is ready.

Picanha is served with rice and the preferred sauce.

Bolinho de Chuva
Bolinho de chuva, famously called Brazilian doughnut, is a traditional food made of flour and is deep fried.
Ingredients

1. 1 cup flour
2. ½ cup milk
3. 2 tablespoon baking powder
4. ½ cup corn starch
5. 2 eggs
6. 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
7. Pinch of salt
8. Oil
9. Sugar with cinnamon

Preparation

• Mix eggs, sugar and pinch of salt in a large bowl. While mixing with a wooden spoon, add flour, cornstarch, baking powder and milk until a batter similar to cake batter appears.
• Preheat the fryer to 350 degree F.
• Take a spoon of batter and scrape off the batter into fryer using another spoon.
• Fry doughnut for about 3 or 4 minutes till they turn golden brown.
• Remove them from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar along with cinnamon and the dish is ready to be served.

Acaraje
Acaraje is a famous Bahian dish. This is a popular traditional street dish of Brazil, served as an appetizer.
Ingredients

1. 1 cup black eyed peas soaked overnight
2. 2 cloves garlic
3. 1 cup water
4. 1 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. ½ tablespoon ground pepper

Preparation

• Rub the peel off the beans.
• Mix all ingredients in a blender. Beat for 4 or 5 minutes until dough appears.
• Pour mixture in a bowl.
• Heat the oil to 350 degree F and deep-fry spoonfuls of dough for 7 or 8 minutes until it turns dark red.
• Pat them dry. Stir the remaining mixture, to avoid watery stuff for some time. The dish is ready.

There are more dishes which are relatively unknown to the world but are quite delicious and famous in Brazil. This just shows the culinary richness of Brazil.