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<\/a>\nPikine, a West African restaurant at 243 West 116th St in Manhattan is definitely worth a visit, particularly if you\u2019re unfamiliar with Senegalese food. Portions are large (suitable for two, I\u2019d say) but be forewarned that oftentimes many dishes are unavailable, sometimes because they\u2019re served only on certain days of the week (typical for many African restaurants) but sometimes just because the kitchen reports that they\u2019re out.<\/p>\n
We ordered Senegal\u2019s national dish, Thiebou Djeun \u2013 spellings vary widely but pronunciation is close to Cheh-boo Jen \u2013 and to call it rice and fish is an understatement even though the words translate as rice and fish. It\u2019s made from \u201cbroken rice\u201d (easily found at nearby African markets) and if you look closely you\u2019ll see its short grains, but it begins its life as standard untruncated rice that breaks in the field or during processing or milling; the shards are sorted by size and are highly desirable since they cook faster and absorb flavors more readily than whole grains. The rice, combined with chopped onion and garlic, is cooked with tomato paste that lends its deep red color and rich flavor, plus okra, carrots, cabbage (your vegetables may vary) and perfectly seasoned fish.<\/p>\n
Our second dish was Maffe (often spelled Maf\u00e9), lamb stew with vegetables in a tomato\/peanut butter sauce, another Senegalese classic that\u2019s not to be missed.
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What do Thiebou Djeun and Mafe have in common other than creating a problem for most spell checkers? Read about these two delicious Senegalese dishes. Continue reading