One-Pot Thiebou Yapp (Senegalese Beef and Tomato Rice)

Name: One-Pot Thiebou Yapp (Senegalese Beef and Tomato Rice)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Senegalese
Ingredients: 1.5 lb beef chuck; 2 large onion; 4 clove garlic; 1 piece scotch bonnet or habanero pepper; 3 tbsp peanut oil; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 14 oz crushed tomatoes; 1 cup beef or vegetable stock; 3 cup water or extra stock; 1 piece bouillon cube; 2 tsp dried thyme; 1 piece bay leaf; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp fresh parsley; 2 cup long-grain rice; 3 medium carrot; 1 medium eggplant; 0.25 head green cabbage; 0.5 piece lemon

A one‑pot version of Senegal's classic rice-and-beef dish: beef simmered in a spiced tomato broth, then steamed together with rice and vegetables so everything finishes in one pan and with minimal washing up.

AI image

1 hr 50 min

start to finish

25 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

6 servings

Ingredients

Contains peanut. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs almost clear; drain and set aside.
Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Working in batches if needed, brown the beef cubes on all sides without crowding; transfer browned pieces to a bowl.
Add the sliced onion to the empty pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden-brown.
Add the minced garlic and the whole scotch bonnet pepper (if using) and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste and fry, stirring, until it darkens and the oil takes on a deep red color, about 2–3 minutes.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, 1 cup stock, the bouillon cube, thyme and bay leaf; stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
Return the browned beef to the pot, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the beef is nearly tender.
Add the carrots to the pot and simmer until they start to soften.
Spread the rinsed rice in an even layer over the stew—do not stir. Carefully pour the remaining 3 cups of stock (or enough liquid to barely cover the rice) over the rice so it sits just under the surface.
Nestle the eggplant cubes and cabbage wedges on top of the rice, cover the pot tightly and reduce heat to very low to steam the rice and vegetables.
Turn off the heat and let the pot rest, still covered, to finish steaming and settle the flavors.
Remove the bay leaf and whole pepper (if left whole), fluff the rice gently with a fork, fold in the beef and vegetables, taste and adjust salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon halves.

Worth knowing

Frying the tomato paste until it darkens is key — it builds deep flavor and gives the sauce its characteristic color.
If you prefer less heat, leave the scotch bonnet whole and remove it before serving; it will impart flavor without too much bite if not pierced.
Use a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid so steam cooks the rice evenly; if your lid isn't tight, put a clean kitchen towel between pot and lid (careful when lifting).
If you want to stretch this to more people, add a cup more rice and an extra cup of stock, and increase simmer/steam time by 5–10 minutes as needed.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

One pan

Watch someone make it

A different recipe for the same dish, by a cook who has spent years on it.

More Senegalese cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Senegalese cooking, not any restaurant's recipe.