Moqueca Com Pirao (Brazilian Shrimp Stew) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs large shrimp (reserve shells)
2 onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoons dende oil (or olive oil if you can't find it)
coconut milk, 100ml
1/8 teaspoon paprika (* see note at the end)
cilantro and chives, chopped

Preparation

Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes in oil, in a clay pan if possible (http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/15240632.jpg). When onions are golden-about 15 minutes-add deveined and cleaned shrimp, and wait until it gets \"red\"-about 15 more minutes. About 5 minutes after you added the shrimp, add coconut milk and paprika. Before serving, mix in cilantro and chives.
Pirao: 700ml water; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt; pepper & salt to taste; reserved shrimp shells; dash of colorau *; 1 cup manioc flour. In a pan with lid, boil all the ingredients for about 15 minutes. Drain. Put liquid back in pan; when it boils turn to a simmer. SLOWLY add manioc flour, stirring constantly (as for polenta). It is ready when it starts thickening. (It doesn't harden, but turns kinda gooey.).
* We actually use \"colorau\" (made mainly from \"urucum\" seeds); instead of paprika, a better substitute in my view is annatto seeds (http://www.overmundo.com.br/overblog/nosso-colorau-o-urucum). Saute annatto seeds in the dende oil, being VERY careful not to bun them; remove seeds and use the oil.