The Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Tip the rice into a sieve and rinse well under cold water, then drain and set aside. 

Cut the red peppers in half and remove the cores and seeds, then roughly chop. Cut the onion in half, then peel and roughly chop. Peel the ginger and garlic and finely grate. Roughly chop the chilli, if using. Place everything in a mini food processor or Nutribullet and blitz to a puree. 

Heat a casserole over a medium heat. Add half the oil and sauté the tomato puree for 2-3 minutes. Add the blitzed pepper mixture and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the herbs, spices and a pinch of salt (optional) and about half a teaspoon of pepper. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes.

Stir the rice into the vegetable mixture to coat. Pour in the stock and give a good stir. Cover with a lid and cook on a very low heat for 15 minutes until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes with the lid on. 

Drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water, then dry on kitchen paper. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the rest of the oil. Tip in the chickpeas and frozen peas. Season with salt(optional) and pepper, then add the dried chilli, if using and cook for 2-3 minutes until sizzling.

Gently fork the jollof rice and divide among plates. Add the chickpea and pea mixture alongside to serve.