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Congolese

Liboké de poisson

Non-vegetarian

Liboké

Fish rubbed with lemon, garlic and chilli, wrapped with tomato, onion and pepper in banana leaves and cooked over coals or in the oven so it steams in its own juices.

Liboké de poisson is a Congolese main course from DR Congo, ready in about 1 hour and made with tilapia and banana leaves. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Delicious steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves, topped with red chili and coconut milk.
Photo: icon0 com / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
5 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
213

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rub the fish all over with the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) and leave for 15 minutes.

    • 15 min

  2. Step 2

    Soften the banana leaves (opens in a new tab) over a flame or in hot water. Lay two leaves crosswise for each parcel, add a bed of onion (opens in a new tab), then the fish, then tomato (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab) and chilli; drizzle with oil.

    • 10 min
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Fold into tight parcels and tie with strips of leaf or string. Cook on a tray in the oven (opens in a new tab) (or over medium coals, turning once) until the fish flakes easily.

    Food safety: Fish is done when it is opaque and flakes at the thickest point.

  4. Step 4

    Rest for 5 minutes, then open the parcels at the table.

    • 5 min

About this dish

Origin
DR Congo · Commonly attributedLiboké (leaf-parcel cooking) is shared by both Congos.Also popular in Republic of the CongoMore food from DR Congo
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Steamed, Oven-baked, Grilled
Taste
fresh, citrusy, spicy (chilli heat), savoury
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Tilapia · Banana leaves · Lemon juice · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Onion
Techniques
Baking · Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom tilapia

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

213 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 262 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 47%
  • Carbohydrate 16%
  • Fat 38%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy213 kcal81 kcal
Protein25.5 g9.7 g
Carbohydrate8.6 g3.3 g
Net carbohydrate6.7 g2.6 g
Sugars3.9 g1.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.9 g0.7 g
Fat9.1 g3.5 g
Saturated fat1.3 g0.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol60 mg23 mg
Sodium651 mg248 mg
Salt equivalent1.6 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
640 mg
Calcium
35 mg
Iron
1.1 mg
Magnesium
48 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
32 µg
Vitamin C
46 mg
Vitamin D
3.7 µg
Vitamin B12
1.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
49 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): banana leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • If you have no banana leaves, wrap in parchment and then foil; you lose the leaf aroma but the fish steams the same way.

Common mistakes

  • Wrapping the parcels loosely — the juices escape and the fish dries out.

Serve with

  • Serve with chikwangue (cassava bread), rice or fried plantains.

Storage

  • Best eaten fresh.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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