Peixada cearense (fish and vegetable stew)

Method

1. Season the hake steaks with the lime juice, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper and keep in the fridge.
2. Peel the potatoes and quarter them; peel the carrot and cut it into 2 cm rounds. Quarter 1 onion and chop ½ onion; chop the remaining ½ onion for the rice. Cut the peppers into wide rings and chop one ring of each; slice the tomato into rounds and chop the remaining garlic.
3. In a pot of boiling water with 1 teaspoon of salt, cook the potatoes, carrot, quartered onion and the eggs for 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender. Drain, keeping 400 ml of the water; peel the eggs.
4. Make fluffy white rice: boil 750 ml of water in a kettle. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat and soften ½ onion, finely chopped, with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes; add 300 g of long-grain rice and stir for 1 minute until every grain is coated. Pour in the boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir once and cook uncovered over medium heat until the water drops to the level of the rice (about 7 minutes). Lower the heat, half-cover and cook 8 minutes more until dry; turn off the heat, keep covered for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
5. In a wide, shallow pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the chopped peppers, the chopped ½ onion and the garlic for 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and stir for 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk, the 400 ml of vegetable water and a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute.
6. Add the fish steaks, cooked vegetables, eggs and the tomato and pepper rings, arranging everything in one layer. Cook uncovered over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the pan instead of stirring, until the fish flakes. Scatter over the chopped coriander and chives.
7. Make the pirão: transfer 400 ml of the stew broth to a small pan and bring to the boil. Add the cassava flour little by little, whisking constantly, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over low heat into a smooth porridge; adjust the salt.
8. Serve the peixada from the pan, with the rice and the pirão.