Nigerian jollof rice

Step 1: Blend 3 red bell peppers (tatashe), 4 ripe plum tomatoes, 1 scotch bonnet chilli (ata rodo) and the chopped half of ½ red onion until smooth, with no added water if you can manage it.

Step 2: Tip the blend into a wide pot and boil it over a medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until it has reduced by about a third and looks thick and glossy.

Step 3: In the pot you will cook the rice in, heat ½ cup vegetable or groundnut oil over a medium heat and fry the sliced half of ½ red onion until soft and just golden at the edges.

Step 4: Stir in 2 ½ oz tomato paste and fry it, stirring all the time, until it darkens from bright red to a brick colour and starts to stick.

Step 5: Add the reduced pepper base, 2 tsp curry powder (Nigerian style), 1 tsp dried thyme, 3 bay leaves, 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic. Fry over a medium heat, stirring, until the oil floats to the top in red pools and the sauce smells sweet rather than sharp.

Step 6: Stir in the drained 1 ⅛ lb long-grain parboiled rice (easy-cook) until every grain is coated, then pour in 2 ¾ cups vegetable stock and add 1 ½ tsp salt. The liquid should sit just level with the rice, not above it.

Step 7: Cover the pot tightly with a sheet of foil and then the lid, turn the heat to low and cook without stirring for 20 minutes. Steam, not boiling liquid, cooks party jollof.

Step 8: Lift the lid. If the rice still has a hard centre, sprinkle over 3–4 tbsp water, cover again and cook for 5–10 minutes more. A common mistake is adding a big splash of stock here: the top turns to mush while the grains underneath stay chalky.

Step 9: For the smoky 'bottom pot' flavour, turn the heat up to medium for the last 3–4 minutes, without stirring, until you hear a gentle crackle and smell toasting rice. Stop before it smells bitter.

Step 10: Turn off the heat, fold through 1 tbsp plant butter if using, and lift the rice with a fork from the bottom up so the slightly charred grains get mixed in. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot.