Smoky Grilled Pepper & Chilli Rice
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
This comforting bowl of rice is inspired by the West African dish jollof rice. Our twist is a rich and sweet cherry tomato passata and cumin base to the rice, which is spiked with chilli and coriander and topped off with a succulent heap of smokily charred grilled peppers.
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525 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 chillies
  • A handful of coriander
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 330ml cherry tomato passata
  • 150g white basmati rice
  • ½ vegetable stock cube
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 200ml boiling water
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Peel the onion and finely chop it. Peel the garlic cloves and finely chop or grate them. Halve the chillies and finely chop them (jollof rice is spicy by nature, but scrape out the seeds and membrane from the chillies before chopping them if you prefer a milder flavour). Separate the coriander leaves and stalks. Pop the leaves aside for later in the recipe, and finely chop the stalks.

  • 2.

    Pour 1 tbsp oil into a pan and warm to a medium heat. Slide in the chopped onion, garlic, coriander stalks and chilli. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp cumin seeds and a pinch of salt and pepper and fry for 3-4 mins, till slightly softened.

  • 3.

    Pour the passata into the pan. Crumble in half of the vegetable stock cube and add 200ml boiling water. Tip in the rice and give everything a good stir. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Pop a lid on the pan and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally to stop the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  • 4.

    While the rice is cooking, heat your grill to high. Halve the red and yellow peppers and scoop out the seeds. Slice the peppers into strips and scatter onto a baking tray. Pour over 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and toss together till coated. Slide under the hot grill for 4-5 mins, till golden and slightly blistered. Remove the tray from the oven and turn the peppers over, then return to the grill for a further 4-5 mins.

  • 5.

    When the rice is cooked, pile it onto two warm plates and top with the blistered peppers and the coriander leaves.

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