Jollof rice is a staple dish of West Africa made from rice, tomatoes, onions, vegetables, and chicken or fish. Many variations of Jollof rice are found in West Africa. Senegal is the birthplace of Jollof rice. In Senegal, Jollof rice is known as Thieboudienne. Thieboudienne is a combination of rice, fish, vegetables, and various spices, cooked together to create a delicious one-pot meal.
Thieboudienne features a whole fish, such as red or blue snapper, stuffed with herbs and spices. Then fried or grilled until cooked through. The rice is cooked in a tomato-based sauce with spices and herbs on low heat. Senegalese Jollof rice is served hot with tender fish and vegetables.
Ingredients:
Ingredients for the Fish and Stuffing:
You require the following ingredients to marinate the fish.
- A handful of parsley about a heaping cup
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 scotch bonnet/ habanero pepper
- 1 tsp shrimp bouillon
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 lbs of blue snapper fish, preferably cut into fish steaks or (any white fish of your choice, such as red snapper or tilapia), cleaned and scaled
Ingredients for the Jollof Rice:
To make Jollof rice, you need the following things.
- 2 cups of parboiled long-grain rice (should be soaked in water)
- 1 cup of Shirley’s Jollof paste
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 2 cups of water
- 1 eggplant, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 cabbage, cut into wedges
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup of okra, ends trimmed
- 2 scotch bonnet/ habanero peppers
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Senegalese Jollof Rice and Fish?
To make Senegalese Jollof Rice and fish, follow these steps:
Soak the rice: Soak the 2 cups of parboiled long-grain rice in the water while preparing fish and Jollof rice sauce.
Marinate the fish:
Grind the parsley, garlic, scotch bonnet, bullion black pepper, and salt into a rough paste with a mortar and pistol or in a food processor.
Poke the holes into the flesh of the fish and stuff them with the parsley mix. Leave the fish for half an hour. Then fry or broil the fish until it is golden brown on each side, and set it aside for Jollof rice sauce.
Grind Spices into Paste:
Grind all spices into a rough paste in a food processor mortar and pestle or in.
Stew the Vegetables:
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Saute the chopped onions in the oil over medium heat until translucent.
- Add the garlic and scotch bonnet and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add Shirley’s Jollof paste to the pot and stir to mix well. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the water and stir to mix it with the Jollof paste.
- Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Add the tough vegetable first into the sauce and cook until tender. Add the sweet potatoes, cook until tender, and remove.
- Then add the carrots cook until tender, and remove.
- Then add cabbage, eggplant, and okra, cook until tender, and remove.
Add the Fish to the Stew:
- Add the fry or broiled fish to the stew and cook for 2-5 minutes.
- Once the fish has simmered in the stew, gently remove it from the stew.
Completing the Senegalese Jollof Rice (Thieboudienne):
- Rinse the rice and set it aside to drain.
- Add the rice to the sauce, which should be covered by the sauce. Add water to adjust the volume.
- Cover the pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes on low heat. You may seal the pot’s cover with foil to prevent steam from escaping.
- Check the rice after 15 minutes; the rice absorbed the moisture and became soft.
- Cover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. (If the rice is still not soft and the water has dried up. Add 4 tbsp of water to the rice, cover the pot, and cook).
Serve the Senegalese Jollof Rice(Thieboudienne):
Serve the Senegalese Jollof Rice hot, placing the fish on top of the rice and arranging the vegetables around it.
Note: Shirley’s Jollof paste adds a unique flavor to the dish. Adjust the spice levels and ingredients according to your preference.