Ceebu Yapp
Senegalese rice with meat — a simpler, everyday version of thiéboudienne using beef or lamb instead of fish.
Ingredients
- •Broken rice
- •Beef or lamb
- •Onions
- •Tomato paste
- •Tomatoes
- •Scotch bonnet
- •Garlic
- •Cassava
- •Cabbage
- •Carrots
- •Guedj (fermented fish)
- •Palm oil
- •Salt
Instructions
Brown meat
Brown seasoned beef or lamb pieces in palm oil. Remove and set aside.
Build sauce
Fry onions and tomato paste in the same pot. Add blended tomatoes, scotch bonnet, garlic, and guedj. Cook 15 minutes.
Cook meat and vegetables
Return meat to pot with enough water. Add cassava and carrots. Simmer 30 minutes. Add cabbage for the last 10 minutes. Remove all.
Cook rice
Measure remaining sauce and add water to correct quantity for the rice. Bring to boil, add rice, cook until absorbed.
Plate
Mound rice on a large communal platter and arrange meat and vegetables on top.
Ceebu Yapp — literally "rice with meat" in Wolof — is the meat version of thiéboudienne and one of the most common everyday meals in Senegalese homes. While thiéboudienne with fish is reserved for special occasions and is the national prestige dish, ceebu yapp with beef or lamb is the daily rice-based meal that sustains Senegalese families throughout the week.
The technique mirrors thiéboudienne: a rich tomato and onion base built with guedj for depth, meat and vegetables cooked in the sauce, then rice cooked in the remaining liquid to absorb all its flavors. The result is a deeply savory, rich rice dish with tender meat and soft vegetables arranged on top.
Like all Senegalese rice dishes, ceebu yapp is eaten communally from a large shared platter, typically sitting on the floor around a mat. The communal eating tradition — called "eating from the same bowl" — is central to Senegalese social life and hospitality. Guests are always invited to join the platter, and refusing is considered impolite.