Ingredients
- The star: Kéthiakh (dried and smoked fish). You will need to clean it, remove the skin and bones, then break it into pieces.
- Rice: 1 kg of broken rice, washed and lightly steamed.
- Vegetables: * Eggplants (bitter/diakhatou and sweet varieties).
- Carrots and Cassava (optional, but traditional).
- Okra (Lalo).
- The base of the sauce:
- Netetou (fermented néré seeds) – essential for authentic taste.
- Guedj (dried salted fish) for depth of flavor.
- Onions (2 large, chopped).
- Tomato paste (1 to 2 tablespoons).
- Nokoss (aromatic paste): Garlic, black pepper and chili peppers.
- Oil: About 1 cup of vegetable oil.
- Seasoning: Salt and broth (optional).
Preparation Steps
1. Preparation of Kethiakh
Since smoked fish can be salty and sandy, soak the pieces in hot water, remove the skin and remove as many bones as possible. Reserve the clean pieces.
2. Brown the base
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the chopped onions and tomato paste. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the tomato has lost its acidity. Add the Guedj at this stage so that it melts in the oil.
3. Liquid and vegetables
Add water to the pot (enough to cook the rice later). Bring to a boil. Add your vegetables (carrots, cassava, eggplant) and pieces of Kéthiakh cleaned. Incorporate your Nokoss (garlic/pepper paste) and the Netetou.
4. Simmering
Simmer the vegetables and fish over medium heat until the vegetables are tender. Once cooked, remove the vegetables and a few pieces of fish from the broth and reserve them to prevent them from crumbling.
5. Cooking rice
Taste the broth — it should be flavorful and smoky. Adjust the salt. Add the pre-cooked steamed broken rice to the broth. The liquid should be just a little above the level of the rice. Cover tightly and cook until very low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is very tender.
6. Service
Arrange the rice on a large platter. Place the vegetables and pieces of smoked fish on top. It is often served with a tangy onion sauce or a squeeze of lemon.
Sala's Pro Tip
To obtain the best texture, prepare your steamed rice (using a couscous maker) before adding it to the broth. This ensures that the rice grains stay loose and do not become mushy.