Jollof Rice is one of those dishes that looks simple, but the flavor comes from building that tomato & pepper base properly. It’s especially popular across West Africa, with every country having its own version. This is my take, using a smoky pepper sauce, basmati rice, & chicken thighs for a complete meal. Steps: Make the sauce: Blend tomatoes, red bell peppers, red chili peppers, onion, garlic, & ginger until smooth. Then cook the sauce in a little oil until it darkens slightly and the flavors develop before adding the rice & stock. For more flavor, roast the vegetables first with olive oil & salt until they get some color and a slightly smoky taste, then blend. Marinate the chicken: Use some of the sauce to marinate the chicken thighs before roasting. The flavor profile is actually quite similar to peri-peri. Roast the chicken until cooked through, taking it out every 15 mins and brush it with more sauce for more flavor. Cook the rice: Sauté diced onion with tomato paste. Add the remaining sauce and cook for a few minutes. Season with thyme, cumin, smoked paprika, curry powder, salt, & white pepper. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add @dayma basmati rice, cover, lower the heat, and cook for 20 mins. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for another 15 mins so the rice can finish steaming without getting mushy. There are so many incredible dishes across our continent that deserve just as much attention as the food we usually see from the West. Sometimes we just need to look closer. Ingredients (Serves 4): Sauce: 2 red bell peppers 4 tomatoes 3 red chili peppers 1 onion 4 garlic cloves Ginger 2 tbsp olive oil Salt Chicken: 4 chicken thighs Salt & pepper ½ cup blended sauce Rice: 2 cups basmati rice @Dayma 1 onion, diced 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 cups blended sauce 3 cups chicken stock 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp curry powder Salt & pepper - @ahmed.eat