Traditional Stewed Shrimp

Finely chop the two onions, the green bell pepper, and the tomato. Prepare the crushed garlic cloves and the chopped scallions (if using frozen, use them directly).

In a saucepan, combine the oil, crushed garlic, chopped onion, bell pepper, tomato, fish base (if using), scallions, salt, pepper, annatto powder, and tomato paste.

Add the cup of water to the sautéed seasonings and let it cook briefly so the sauce deepens in flavor before adding the shrimp.

Rinse and thoroughly drain the shrimp (1kg). Add the shrimp to the pan with the pre-cooked sauce.

If the meal is not immediate, turn off the heat after adding the shrimp, keeping it ready in the pan to heat up just before serving (about 5 minutes of simmering).

If you desire more sauce (for serving with risotto, for example), adjust the amount of water. If you prefer it drier, do not add more water than what was used in the initial cooking of the sauce.