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Lamb thiébou yapp

Lamb thiébou yapp is a Senegalese rice dish simmered with lamb, tomato, and carrots, serving 4, ready in 1h15, medium difficulty, for €3.60 per serving. The key to success is cooking the rice directly in the meat's cooking juices, never in plain water, so it soaks up all the flavor of the mustard and chili marinade.

Tonight, a Senegalese lamb and rice dish, cooked in the meat's own flavorful juices, with a touch of mustard and lemon.

Lamb thiébou yapp
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.60
Calories per person
700 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Thiébou yapp is the meat version of Senegal's thiébou dieune, the rice dish usually made with fish. Here, lamb marinated with mustard, garlic, and chili gives off a bold, slightly tangy broth that the rice fully absorbs as it cooks. The result is rice tinted by tomato, tender, topped with soft chunks of meat and a hint of heat that stays in the background.

This is a dish to plan for a Sunday or an evening when you have a bit of time ahead, since the marinade and long simmer call for organization more than skill. Mon Chou suggests serving it to adults or older kids who enjoy bold flavors, with a squeeze of lemon right before serving to wake up the spices.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Boneless lamb shoulder 700 g

Pantry

  • Long grain riceoften in the pantry 350 g
  • Mustardoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Bouillon cubeoften in the pantry 1
  • Oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 4
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Chili pepper 1
  • Carrots 2

Allergens Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the cubed lamb with 2 sliced onions, the garlic, mustard, vinegar, pepper, and chili pepper, and let it marinate. 30 min

    The longer the marinade sits, the more flavorful the lamb becomes.

  2. Brown the meat in hot oil, setting the onions aside first, then set the meat aside too. 10 min

    Sear over high heat to color the meat without cooking it through.

  3. Cook the marinade onions with the tomato paste, add the meat back in, add the sliced carrots, and cover with water along with the bouillon cube. 35 min

    The cooking liquid needs to be generous, since it will cook the rice.

  4. Remove the meat, measure the broth, add the rinsed rice, and cook covered over very low heat. 20 min

    Use one and a half times the volume of rice in broth.

  5. Let it steam off the heat and serve the rice with the meat on top.

    A small squeeze of lemon on the meat wakes up the spices.

Our tips to get it right

  • Rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking, until the water runs clear, to avoid a sticky texture.
  • Keep the heat very low while the rice simmers in the broth, too high a heat will scorch the bottom before the rice absorbs all the liquid.
  • Taste the broth before adding the rice and adjust the salt or chili, since this liquid carries the final flavor of the whole dish.

The variations

  • Swap the lamb for braising beef for a more classic, slightly leaner thiébou yapp.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with cooked chickpeas and use vegetable broth instead of the meat bouillon cube.
  • For kids, leave the chili out of the marinade and serve it on the side, so everyone can adjust the heat themselves.

What to serve it with

  • A cucumber and onion salad
  • Fresh lemon wedges
  • Mint tea

Storage

Lamb thiébou yapp keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, meat and rice together, for up to 2 months. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water to bring back the rice's softness.

Questions about this dish

Can you make lamb thiébou yapp ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it the day before, the flavors actually deepen as it rests. Reheat it gently in a saucepan with a splash of water the next day.

Can you replace the mustard in the marinade?

You can use less mustard if you prefer a milder taste, but it's the ingredient that tenderizes and flavors the lamb. Avoid leaving it out entirely if you want to keep the dish's character.

What type of rice works best for this dish?

A classic long grain rice works well, since it absorbs the cooking juices without turning mushy. Avoid short grain rice, which gets too sticky for this kind of dish.

Is lamb thiébou yapp very spicy?

The whole chili infuses the dish without necessarily making it very hot, especially if you remove it before it bursts open. You control the heat by leaving the chili whole and adjusting how long it stays in the marinade and the broth.

How long does it take to make a lamb thiébou yapp?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a lamb thiébou yapp?

About 700 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a lamb thiébou yapp cost?

About €3.60 per serving, or €14.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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