Thiéré bassi salté is a generous and fragrant Senegalese couscous with millet, served with a sauce made of meat, chicken, vegetables, chickpeas, white beans, raisins and lalo, a baobab leaf powder used to bind couscous.
A festive dish as much as a family dish, the thiéré occupies an important place in Senegalese cuisine. It is particularly associated with Tamkharit, the name given in Senegal to Ashura, when many families prepare a large millet couscous to share.
Unlike wheat-based Maghreb couscous, thiéré is prepared with millet, an ancient cereal that is very common in West Africa. Its texture is more rustic, its taste more pronounced, and the lalo gives it a slightly bound consistency, very characteristic of traditional Senegalese couscous.
Au menu
What is thiéré bassi salté?
Thiéré bassi salté is a Senegalese dish made with millet couscous, served with a sauce rich in meat, chicken and vegetables. There are several variations of thiéré depending on the region, the family and the occasion: some are prepared with fish, others with meat, leaves, cabbage, peanuts or seasonal vegetables.
In this version, millet couscous is enriched with chickpeas, white beans, raisins and small minced meatballs. It is then moistened with a long-simmered sauce of meat, chicken, tomato, cassava, squash, carrot, turnip and sweet potato.
Thiéré, thiakry, millet couscous: what is the difference?
Thiéré generally refers to a millet couscous used in savory preparations. Thiakry is the name given to semolina or millet grains used in sweet preparations, such as the Senegalese dessert with curd, raisins and orange blossom.
In both cases, millet is at the heart of the recipe. This is what distinguishes these preparations from the better-known Maghreb couscous , prepared from durum wheat semolina.
The role of lalo in Senegalese couscous
Lalo is a powder of dried and pounded baobab leaves. In Senegalese cuisine, it serves as a binder and gives millet couscous a softer, slightly slippery texture that is very pleasant in the mouth.
To use it, it is generally diluted in a little water before incorporating it into the couscous during steaming. You shouldn’t put too much: its role is to soften and bind the grains, without masking the taste of the millet.
thiéré bassi salté and Tamkharit
In Senegal, Thiéré is strongly associated with Tamkharit, the local name for Ashura. On this occasion, many families prepare large dishes of millet couscous to share.
Thiéré bassi salté is therefore more than just couscous: it is a dish of celebration, transmission and conviviality, often prepared in large quantities to bring family, neighbours and loved ones together around the same dish.
How to make a good salted bassi thiéré?
The success of the salted thiéré bassi is based on two elements: a well-steamed millet couscous and a reduced sauce. The couscous should be supple, airy and slightly bound by the lalo. The sauce, on the other hand, should be concentrated, fragrant, rich in vegetables and reduced enough to coat the grains without soaking them.
Take the time to simmer the meats and vegetables, then reduce the sauce. It is this slow cooking that gives the dish its depth and texture.
What to serve with thiéré bassi salté?
The thiéré bassi salté is sufficient on its own: it already contains the millet couscous, meats, vegetables, legumes and sauce. It can simply be accompanied by a fresh chilli, a little extra sauce or a fresh salad.
Like many Senegalese dishes, it is ideal to share in a large family dish.
Being naturally gluten-free, it is prepared with lalo, a baobab product that serves as a binder for semolina. For the sauce, there are different variants, with fish, meat or cabbage, with vegetables as varied as cassava, peppers, carrots or sweet potato. This dish is traditionally eaten by the country’s Muslims on the occasion of Ashura, a religious festival called Tamkharit in Senegal.
Thiéré bassi salté – Senegalese couscous with millet
Ingredients
**Ingredients – for the millet couscous**
- * 250 g millet couscous
- * 100 g minced meat
- * 50 g cooked white beans
- * 50 g cooked chickpeas
- * 20 g raisins
- * 10 g of lalo
- * 12 cl of water
**Ingredients – for the sauce**
- * 300 g beef
- * 2 chicken thighs
- * 5 cl of vegetable oil
- * 1 medium onion, grated
- * 1 small green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- * 100 g tomato paste
- * 10 cl grated tomatoes
- * 1 piece of squash cut into large chunks
- * 4 pieces of cassava
- * 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 4
- * 1 turnip, peeled and cut into 4
- * 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into pieces
- * 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- * 1 red chilli pepper
- * 1/2 bunch of spring onions
- * Salt
- * Pepper
Preparation
- Marinate the beef and chicken for 30 minutes with 3 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot, then brown the marinated pieces of meat and chicken.
- Dissolve the tomato paste in a little water, then pour it into the pot.
- Add the squash, cassava, carrot, turnip, and sweet potato. Cover with water.
- Blend the onion, spring onions, remaining 3 garlic cloves, pepper, chilli, salt and pepper until you have an aromatic paste.
- Add this paste to the sauce, then stir in the grated tomato.
- Simmer for about 1 hour, until the meats and vegetables are cooked.
- Remove the meats and vegetables, then reduce the sauce over low heat, until it is concentrated and fragrant.
- Meanwhile, place the millet couscous in a large bowl, sprinkle it with boiling water, sand the grains, then let it absorb.
- Steam the millet couscous in a couscous maker for 20 minutes.
- Dissolve the lalo in 12 cl of water and beat until you get a thick white mixture.
- Stir the lalo into the couscous, mix well, then steam for another 20 minutes.
- Form the minced meat into small balls and cook them in a little hot oil.
- Add the chickpeas, white beans, raisins and meatballs to the millet couscous.
- Moisten the couscous with a ladle of sauce, mix gently, then serve with the meats, vegetables and the rest of the sauce.
Notes
FAQ
What is thiéré bassi salté?
Thiéré bassi salté is a Senegalese couscous with millet, served with a sauce of meat, chicken, vegetables, legumes, raisins and lalo.
What is the difference between thiéré and thiakry?
Thiéré generally refers to a millet couscous used in savory dishes. Thiakry is rather associated with sweet preparations based on millet grains, often with curds.
What is lalo?
Lalo is a powder of dried and pounded baobab leaves. In Senegalese cuisine, it is used as a binder, especially for millet couscous.
Can you make thiéré without lalo?
Yes, but the texture will be less typical. The lalo gives millet couscous a more bound and slightly slippery consistency.
When do you eat thiéré in Senegal?
Thiéré is a family and festive dish. It is particularly associated with Tamkharit, the name given in Senegal to Ashura, where millet couscous is often prepared in large quantities.
Can you make thiéré bassi salté ahead of time?
Yes. The sauce can be made the day before and then reheated when cooking or reheating the millet couscous.
Leave a Reply