Thieboudienne (Senegalese Jollof)

Senegalese jollof in a black plate on a red cloth.

5 from 1 vote

Thieboudienne (Senegalese Jollof)

Savor every bite of this flavorful Thieboudienne (Senegalese Jollof). This traditional dish is made with broken rice or basmati rice, white fish, cabbage, aubergine, okra, sweet potato, carrots, herbs, and a rich tomato sauce. Serve as dinner or during special occasions.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: African, Senegalese, West African

Diet: Halal

Servings: people

Calories: 686kcal

Author: Jen Sim

Equipment

chopping board
Blender
Large Pot

Ingredients

Fish

1 Grouper fish, tilapia or any white fish of your choice descaled and gutted, cut into fish steaks
2 cups of parsley
3 cloves of garlic
1 Scotch bonnet
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon of ginger
Salt to taste

Vegetables

1 purple eggplant
3 whole carrots remove stem
½ a head of cabbage
3 whole okra
1 sweet potato peeled
3 scotch bonnet/ habanero peppers

Rice

2 cups of broken rice or jasmine rice or basmati
1 cup of tomato paste
1 onion sliced
2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
2 tablespoon chicken bouillon
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil

Instructions

Add the fish ingredients to a blender and blend until you get a coarse texture.
Make shallow slits across the fish using a knife. Rub the marinade all over the fish, making sure to stuff it into the slits and any openings. Set aside and let the fish marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Next, heat two large cooking spoons of oil in a large pot. Add sliced red onions, stir, and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to brown slightly.
Pour in 5–6 cups of water and stir to combine. Then, add the remaining marinade, chicken bouillon, bay leaves, black pepper, and salt to taste. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add the sweet potato, okra, eggplant, carrots, scotch bonnets, whole cabbage head and fish. Stir everything together and cook on low to medium heat for 5–7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Once done, remove the vegetables and set them aside.
Add the rice to the pot. If needed, add more water to fully cover the rice.
Cover the pot and cook the rice for 15–25 minutes, or until soft and fluffy.
Finally, arrange the cooked vegetables and marinated fish on top of the rice. Serve hot and enjoy Thieboudienne Senegalese Jollof!

Notes

Fish: Thieboudienne is traditionally made with grouper, but if it’s not available, you can easily swap it for tilapia, sea bass, or any other firm white fish you prefer. Be sure to gut and descale the fish before cooking.
Fish Preparation: To enhance the flavor and add a bit of crispiness, you can pan-fry the fish in oil before adding it to the dish.
Rice: Broken rice is the classic choice for Thieboudienne, but jasmine or basmati rice work well as substitutes.

Nutrition