Since it’s the time of holiday, many people are planning for a vacation trip. Even my friend Kevin is no exception in this case! But it’s always advisable to research a bit about the place you are planning to visit. This also helps you discover the very best that place has to offer. But being a bit different from others, my friend Kevin has taken this concept of researching to an another level altogether. As they planned a trip to Senegal to explore the African terrain they invited me one day and treated me with a plethora of delicious Senegal recipes. Since the way to the heart is always through the stomach, they decided to explore the exotic taste of Africa with these various recipes. So, if you’re also planning for one such trip or just want to try something different in your kitchen then this post is for you. Snug up and read on.
A brief overview about the Senegalese cuisine:
Most cuisines of Senegal are mainly influenced by North African, French and Portuguese cuisine. It also has its fair share of influence from the various ethnic groups of such as Wolof. Because the border of this country is very near to the Atlantic Ocean, fish is a major ingredient in Senegalese cooking. You can also find chicken, lamb, peas, eggs and beef in their various delicacies. However, only pork is excluded from this list due to the nation’s largely Muslim population.
Now here I will be posting the complete recipe of a famous Senegal dish “Thieboudienne” along with its complete list of ingredients. This one has become my personal favorite from that huge platter of Senegal recipes. If you are a food enthusiast then this is the time for you to take out a pen and paper and jot down the whole thing
The dish: Thieboudienne!
When Kevin first served this dish in front of me, I was taken aback by the exquisite smell of the food. Fish has always been my weak-point and the sea-fish looked delicious. Later I came to know that this lip-smacking dish has a very difficult name to pronounce and it is also the national dish of Senegal. Thieboudienne literary means fish and rice in Wolof (the language spoken by Senegal) is a preparation based on fresh fish, guedj, yet condiments nététou and rice cooked with vegetables, parsley, tomato, hot pepper, garlic and onion. Although Kevin told me that there is also another variant of this dish that he found on the internet. This dish is prepared with lamb and jasmine rice and is called thiebou yapp.
Below I am posting the complete list of ingredients that Kevin helped me find on the internet.
RECIPE OF THIEBOUDIENNE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS (PORTION FOR 3 PEOPLE)
2 to 3 lean whole fish with firm flesh (grouper, sea bream, bass, pike, hake, tilapia or snapper)
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 hot peppers, Scotch Bonnet or habanero, chopped
2 beef or vegetable cubes
1 small piece of nététou
2 small dried fish (guedj)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can peeled tomatoes (400 g)
4 bay leaves
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 potatoes (or sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into chunks
1 eggplant, thickly sliced
1 cabbage, cut into wedges
1 cassava root, peeled and cut into chunks
6 okras
4 cups broken rice or jasmine rice
1 lime, sliced
Salt
Pepper
Once you get done collecting these ingredients, you can now head straight to the kitchen and start with the cooking. Here is the complete process for this dish.
The preparation:
First you need to prepare the fish stuffing. Start with mixing parsley, 2 garlic cloves, shallots, 2 hot peppers, stock cube and salt with a mortar and pestle. After that set it aside for some time.
You can also clean the fish if necessary. Then rinse and dry it with paper towels. Make 2 to 3 deep diagonal cuts in each fish. Then stuff every fish with the mixture from the cuts.
Now heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet and start frying the fish for 6 to 7 minutes on each side and set it aside.
Then reduce the heat and add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and onion. Add the remaining 2 peppers and mix for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, grind the remaining stock cube, dried fish and nététou using a food processor. This will make your job easy
Now pour the powder, tomato paste and peeled tomatoes in the pan. Then add salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
After that add the vegetables to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the vegetables as they are cooked through but still firm and reserve.
Lastly add the rice, previously rinsed and add enough water to cover the rice, about 4 cups will suffice.
Now cook the whole thing about 20 to 30 minutes uncovered and stir occasionally while cooking.
Then add the vegetables and fish back to the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Once done place rice and vegetables and fish pieces on each plate. Serve hot with lemon slices.
Finally:
Hope this will help you get started with a culinary culture in your own kitchen. You can also look for many other Senegal recipes available on the internet. Let us know about your experience in the comment section. If you have any queries do let us know that as well. As I have tagged Kevin in the post, he’ll also be able to answer your questions. Feel free to share this post with others and click on the follow button to get more related writings.
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