Learn to cook Senegal’s Thieboudienne recipe
This is a very popular one-pot dish in every part of this West African country.
Thieboudienne, also known as Ceebu Jen is a well known traditional Senegalese dish that contains rice, fish stew and a variety of vegetables.
The meal derived its name from the Wolof tribe meaning “rice and fish”, it has different layers of flavour and has gained popularity outside the country too.
Cooking time
1 hr 55 minutes
Recipe category
Main Dish
Recipe cuisine
Local Dish
Cooking method
Boiling / Frying
Recipe Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
3 pounds of white firm-fleshed fish
1 cup of chopped parsley
1 cup of chopped green onions
1 large onion sliced
15 oz of tomatoes sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 garlic cloves
3 cups uncooked short-grain rice
2 pounds veggies (carrots, green pepper, eggplant)
2 pounds potatoes/ cassava
8- 10 cups of water
8 oz smoked fish
Instructions
- Wash the fish carefully, drain, and pat dry with paper towels or a clean towel. Score or slit the fish 4 to 5 times on a slant across each side. If using fish steaks score once. Rub the fish with lemon and salt the fish and set aside.
- In a food processor or blender puree chopped parsley, green onions, garlic ,habanero pepper and Maggie.
- Dowse fish in one portion of the parsley marinade. Flip the fish so that both sides are coated with the marinade, including the inside of the slashes. Let it set as you prepare the vegetables for the dish. It may be done an hour or two in advance; cover and refrigerate.
- Clean and wash the vegetables ; potatoes and cassava (peel outer layer and cut into large chunks).
- Clean Carrots, eggplant, red and green pepper (cut into large chunks).
- Heat a Dutch oven or a wide heavy sauce-pan until hot; add 1 cup of oil;, swirl and heat for a few seconds, then lower in the fish and fry until fish is brown, around 3 minutes. Turn the fish around and brown for two minutes on the other side. Remove the fish and set aside.
- Add the chopped onions and tomatoes sauce and include the remaining marinade for the fish (about 2 tablespoons), add Maggie and salt according to preference. let it simmer for about five minutes.
- Pour in 6 cups of water, starting with cassava and potatoes about 5 minutes, then followed by eggplant, carrots and the peppers last, simmer for about 3 minutes or until tender. Remove the vegetables and set aside.
- Finally add the rice and about 1-2 cups of water as needed. Adjust for seasonings to taste, add half of the fish. Cover and cook on very low heat on stove top for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and absorbs all the water. Stir occasionally being careful not to let the fish break up.
- Another option is to finish cooking the rice in the oven for about for about 10 minutes or until tender (if using an oven safe pan) This minimizes the stirring and prevents burning.
Your Thieboudienne is ready! Serve warm.