This is a Malian version of Senegalese tiebou djen but which uses Fonio as the base rather than the more typical rice. The fonio is cooked with the smoked fish and the dish is served topped with the garden eggs and the whole habanero chilli.
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time 60 minutes/Serves: 5
Ingredients:
500g of whole fonio
250g smoked catfish
1/4 of a large fresh onion
1 garlic clove
100ml melted shea butter
2 large fresh tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 garden eggs (African aubergines)
1 whole habanero chilli
a few celery leaves (optional)
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
In a pot, heat one and a half litres of water. Add the shredded and cleaned smoked fish, the crushed fresh tomato, the concentrated tomato, the softened dried onion, the minced fresh onion, the celery, salt, pepper and the eggplant. Cover the pot. Leave to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
When the vegetables are cooked, remove them and keep aside. Wash the fonio, drain and dry (in the sun). Brown lightly in an empty pot.
Dilute the seasoning with lukewarm water if necessary and leave to boil.
Pour in the golden fonio little by little, stirring as you go. Cook over low heat until the water evaporates completely.
Serve hot drizzled with hot shea butter. Place the eggplant and the pepper on the dish.
