Servings: 8 to 10

FOR THE OBE ATA: subheading: FOR THE OBE ATA:
1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices 1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
½ medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped ½ medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled 4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red habanero chile, stemmed 1 red habanero chile, stemmed
2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
FOR THE JOLLOF RICE: subheading: FOR THE JOLLOF RICE:
½ cup canola or other neutral oil ½ cup canola or other neutral oil
2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced 2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
3 cups parboiled long-grain rice (such as Carolina Gold or Uncle Ben’s Original), basmati or jasmine rice (about 1¼ pounds) 3 cups parboiled long-grain rice (such as Carolina Gold or Uncle Ben’s Original), basmati or jasmine rice (about 1¼ pounds)
5 fresh thyme sprigs 5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh bay leaf 1 fresh bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock 2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock

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 ¼ 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 ½ 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.