
Thiebou dieune
Preparation time: Above 60 Minuti
Nutritional information: 307 kcal / per serving
Course: Second course
Geographic Area: Africa
Enviromental Impact: Very low (1.12kg CO2 eq)
Recipe in partnership with:

On the menu of kiosks selling food on the streets of Dakar is one dish that cannot be missed: Thiebou Dieune, Senegal’s national dish. This spicy and fragrant rice dish is a tantalizing comfort food consisting of rice (thieb) and fish (dieune) in spicy tomato sauce. According to local folklore, the creation of the recipe was the work of Penda Mbaye, a cook working in the employ of the governor of Saint-Louis of Senegal, the former colonial capital of West Africa. Early versions included the use of barley, but when there was a shortage of that grain Penda replaced it with rice. In the traditional recipe, the fish is first fried and then baked or simmered in its own sauce; this healthier version eliminates the frying step without losing the richness of the flavors.
Ingredients for 4 portions
- Whole fish, gutted, scaled and cleaned
- onion, grated
- fresh garlic, crushed
- parsley, chopped
- chili, crushed 1
- canola oil 15ml
- tomato puree 40ml
- fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped 200g
- cabbage, cut into large chunks 1/4
- carrot, peeled and cut in half 1
- eggplant, cut into quarters 1
- water 350ml
- barley/whole-grain rice 200g
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Mix onion, garlic, parsley, and chilies with 15 ml canola oil in a bowl and blend all ingredients to make a paste.
Massage the whole fish with the paste and let it marinate for at least 1 hour.
Transfer the fish to a baking sheet and bake it in the oven over moderate heat for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and pour a ladleful of the spicy tomato sauce in and over the fish. Put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Heat canola oil in a frying pan and sauté chopped onions until translucent.
Add tomatoes, tomato puree and water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the carrots, cabbage and eggplant and simmer for 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables, leaving as much sauce in the pan as possible.
Arrange the vegetables on a suitable plate and roast them in a hot oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook barley or brown rice in tomato sauce until tender. It will take about 20 minutes.
Serve the fish and roasted vegetables on a bed of rice topped with the tomato sauce.
Enviromental Impact
Very low
Details
Per serving:
1.12kg CO2 equivalent
Carbon footprint
To limit our impact on the environment, we advise you to remain within 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, including all the courses you eat. Bear in mind that plant-based dishes are more likely to have a low environmental impact.
Even though some of our suggestions exceed the recommended 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, that doesn't mean you should never make them; it's the overall balance that counts. Regularly eating a healthy and eco-friendly diet in the long term offsets even the dishes with the most impact, as long as you don't make them too often.