Jollof Rice

Method

1. Put 1 plum tomato, 0.5 red bell pepper, 0.5 scotch bonnet, half of the onion (roughly chopped), 1 garlic clove and 1 tsp grated ginger into a blender and blitz to a completely smooth purée, adding no more than a splash of water. Slice the other onion half thinly and set aside.
2. Rinse 100 g parboiled rice in a bowl of cold water, swirling and pouring off the cloudy water three or four times until it runs clear. Drain in a sieve and leave to sit — washed, well-drained rice is what keeps the grains separate.
3. Heat 1 tbsp groundnut oil in a small heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion half and fry 3 minutes until softened and just golden at the edges, then stir in 1 tbsp tomato purée and fry 2 minutes more, pressing it against the pan until it darkens to a brick red and loses its raw smell.