Smoky Spiced Jollof Rice Coconut Fried Plantain Recipes

Steps:

• For the red sauce: Put the garlic, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, ginger, seasoning cube, pepper, tomato paste and curry powder in a blender. Puree until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the red sauce puree and cook until dry, 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the jollof rice: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mince the habanero to a paste with some salt. Heat the oil and habanero paste in a medium pot over medium heat. Sweat the habaneros slightly, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to toast and turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the Red Sauce and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once boiling, and some salt and cover the pot and transfer to the oven until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 18 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the oven, remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Cover and let sit, about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and set aside.
• For the fried plantains: Fill a medium straight-sided skillet halfway full with oil. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• Working in batches, fry the plantains until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove from the oil and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Immediately season with salt to taste.
• To serve: Spoon the jollof rice into a large serving bowl and top with fried sweet plantains and extra red sauce.

Steps:

• Prepare the obe ata: Working in batches if needed, combine all the obe ata ingredients except the canola oil in a blender and purée on high until smooth. The liquid from the can of tomatoes should suffice, but you can add up to 1/4 cup of water if necessary to get the purée going. (You should have about 3 cups of purée.)
• Heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the purée and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced by about a third of its original volume, 18 to 20 minutes. (It should make about 2 cups. Obe ata can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Prepare the rice: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the 1/2 cup canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove half the onions to a plate and set aside. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, turmeric and smoked paprika, if using, and toast, stirring occasionally, until turmeric is fragrant and tomato paste has deepened to a dark red color, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the obe ata sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat. The habanero oils love to disperse in the air, so you may want to turn on your stovetop fan or open a window while simmering the obe ata. Stir in the rice, thyme and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the stock and cover with a lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until rice is just tender, 35 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the oven and let sit, covered (no peeking) for 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the reserved sautéed onions. Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Serve warm.