National Dish Mauritania: Thieboudienne (Recipe)
In this article
Thieboudienne is fish and rice cooked in one pot, and the rice is the point: it cooks in the fish and tomato broth until it takes on the colour and all the flavour. It came from Saint-Louis in Senegal and is eaten across Mauritania too.
About Thieboudienne
The dish is Wolof in origin and its name means simply fish and rice. Fish is stuffed with a herb paste called rof, fried, then simmered with vegetables in a tomato broth. The vegetables come out, the rice goes in, and everything is reassembled on a platter.
Broken rice, not whole grain, is traditional and absorbs the broth better.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 200 g fish fillet (such as snapper or sea bream)
- 150 g rice (long-grain preferred)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil, for frying
- Fresh herbs, to garnish (such as parsley)
Shopping for the ingredients
Broken rice is sold in African and Asian grocers and is the correct grain. Whole fish rather than fillets, since head and bones make the broth. Cassava, cabbage and sweet potato are the traditional vegetables alongside carrot.
Preparing the dish
Make a paste of parsley, garlic, chilli and stock cube and push it into slashes cut in the fish. That is rof and it is what makes thieboudienne taste like itself. Cook the tomato base until the oil separates before adding liquid.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions and garlic until golden brown.
- Add the diced tomatoes, the carrot and the pepper. Cook the mixture for around 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the paprika and the cumin over the vegetables and stir well.
- Add the prepared fish fillet to the pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
- Lift out the fish and vegetables and keep them warm.
- Add the rice and enough of the broth to cover it, then bring everything to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and let the rice cook gently for about 20 minutes, until tender and the liquid absorbed.
- Serve the rice on a platter with the fish and vegetables arranged over it, garnished with fresh herbs.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
The dish contains no gluten and no dairy. Check the stock cube, since West African brands frequently contain wheat.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The tomato and vegetable base works without fish. Cassava, sweet potato, cabbage and aubergine cooked in it, with the rice absorbing the broth, make a real dish. Sauce arachide is the other established meat-free option.
More tips and tricks
Cook the tomato base until the oil rises to the surface, which is the West African marker of a finished sauce. Take the fish and vegetables out before the rice goes in so nothing overcooks. And use the fish broth for the rice, not fresh water.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Thiebou yapp, the meat version, uses lamb. Tamarind or dried fish add depth. A layer of scorched rice at the bottom of the pot, xoon, is prized and worth aiming for.
Ingredient substitutions
Any firm white fish works. Broken rice is better than long grain if you can find it. Riz au poisson is the same dish under its French name.
Drink pairing ideas
Attaya, the three-round green tea, follows the meal over an hour. Ginger juice alongside. Ginger juice or bissap alongside. Water with the food.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it on one large platter with the rice underneath and the fish and vegetables arranged over it. Everyone eats from the shared dish with the right hand, working the section in front of them. Lime wedges and chilli on the side.
A bit of history
Thieboudienne is credited to Penda Mbaye, a nineteenth-century cook in Saint-Louis, who is said to have substituted rice for the barley that was scarce. UNESCO listed it as intangible cultural heritage in 2021. It is shared across Senegal, Mauritania and the Gambia and anchors Mauritanian cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Thieboudienne
Thieboudienne is fish and vegetables simmered in a tomato broth, with rice cooked in that broth afterwards. Stuff the fish with rof, cook the base until the oil separates, and serve it on one platter.
