How to cook party jollof rice at home

How to cook party jollof rice at home
Ingredients:
4 Cups Easy Cook Rice
3 Large/ 4 Medium Red Bell Peppers (Tatashe)
1/2 Can of Plum Tomatoes/ 2 Medium SizeTomatoes
11/2 Scotch Bonnet (Ata Rodo)
2 cups Beef or Chicken Stock
120g Tomato Paste
2 Onions
100ml /6 Tablespoons Cooking oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Minced Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Curry powder and Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon any seasoning of your choosing
3 Knorr Chicken cubes
2 Teaspoons White pepper
3 Bay Leaves
1 Medium Size Tomato for Garnishing
Salt to Taste
Method:
First blend the red bell peppers, tomatoes, scotch bonnet and 1 onion to a smooth paste and set aside.
Add the cooking oil into a large pot, place on the hob on medium heat, add half sliced onion into it and let it fry till fragrant.
Add the blended pepper, tomato paste, knorr cubes, curry powder, one teaspoon white pepper, bay leaves, cover and let it fry till oil begins to float to the top. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.
While that’s frying, wash your rice thoroughly to rid it of starch and set aside. If you’re choosing to parboil your rice, parboil for 5-8 minutes with little water on low heat. The rice should still be very firm and not soft, wash with warm water and set aside.
When oil floats to the top, add the chicken/ meat stock, cover and let it fry for a further 8-10 minutes.
Now add the washed rice….
(It’s better to transfer the rice into another big pot, then add the stew so you can control the amount of stew that goes in to avoid over adding. Combine thoroughly, ensure the stew is only about a cm over the rice when combined, it’s better to start with little liquid and add as you go)
When that’s fully combined, add the butter….
the minced ginger, the remaining teaspoon of white pepper and combine.
Cover and let it cook till the rice softens. Do stir every now and then with a WOODEN spoon; this prevents clumps and doesn’t break the rice up.
Add little bits of stock or water as you go, be careful not to add too much. Jollof rice needs steam to cook and not water, don’t be alarmed if/when the rice begins to burn, it will definitely burn a little, this is what gives it the much loved smokey flavour.
When the rice is soft enough, add the onion rings and sliced tomato and stir.
Onions and tomatoes should be added just a couple of minutes before final doneness. Combine thoroughly..
..switch off the heat and leave to steam with the residual heat for another minute or two and your Party Jollof Rice is ready.