The queen of West African one-pot recipes has entered the chat

By Yewande Komolafe, The New York Times

Thieboudienne holds a special place among the cuisines of West Africa. This one-pot rice masterpiece is often referred to as the national dish of Senegal, yet its presence and popularity extend beyond any national borders. Its influence is powerful.

So many of West Africa’s other great one-pot rice dishes — Ghanaian waakye, Gambian benachin and Nigerian jollof, to name just a few — are direct descendants of thieboudienne (pronounced CHE-boo-JEN), named for the Wolof words for rice (ceeb or thiebb) and fish (jën).

Jollof rice’s popularity, especially in the diaspora, can be attributed to how quickly it comes together, essentially a sped-up version of thieboudienne. A great thieboudienne, however, resists all shortcuts. A great thieboudienne is practically an all-day affair.

“This is the diva of rice cooked in a tomato broth,” said Nafy Ba Flatley, a Senegalese cook and small-business owner i...