Plento Pasto CookbookSenegalese Thiébou Jen-Style Tomato Tuna Rice
⏱ 20 min
🍽 Serves 4
≈ $6.20 ($1.55/serving)
novice
Why this fits a family on a budget
This one-pan meal comes in well under $2 per serving using pantry-friendly canned tuna and rice, keeping it squarely within your $3-per-meal budget. The entire dish is ready in 20 minutes with no advanced techniques required beyond basic stirring and boiling.
Ingredients
• 2 cans (5 oz each) canned tuna in oil
• 1.5 cups long grain white rice
• 1 can (14.5 oz) canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cube fish bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups water
• 0.5 cup frozen peas
Instructions
1. Dice the onion and green bell pepper into small pieces, about half an inch. Mince the garlic cloves finely.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers, about 1 minute.
3. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the hot oil. Stir frequently and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion turns translucent and the edges begin to turn golden.
4. Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant — you should smell the spices blooming.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, until it darkens slightly to a deep brick-red color.
6. Pour in the canned diced tomatoes (with their juices) and crumble in the fish bouillon cube. Stir everything together well and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Add the 3 cups of water and the 1.5 cups of rice. Stir to combine, then add the salt. Bring the mixture to a full boil over high heat — you will see large bubbles breaking the surface.
8. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan tightly with a lid, and cook for 12 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
9. After 12 minutes, quickly add the frozen peas and the drained canned tuna on top of the rice, re-cover immediately, and cook for 2 more minutes until the peas are bright green and the tuna is warmed through.
10. Remove from heat, fluff gently with a fork folding the tuna and peas into the rice, taste for salt, and serve hot directly from the pan.
Contains: fish. Always double-check labels for your household's allergies.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
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This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.
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