• In a pot, add in the rinsed basmati rice and 2 cups of water. Add a bit of salt to the water. Cove tightly and bring to a boil. Once water starts boiling, turn down heat to low. The water should just simmer. The rice should absorb all the liquid in the pot in about 15-20 minutes.

Making the Jollof Rice Sauce

• In a food processor or blender, add in half the onions. Then add all of the canned tomatoes, garlic, habanero, and red pepper. Process until it is a finely blended liquid.
• Slice the remaining half onion.
• Add the vegetable oil into a pot and turn on the heat to medium. After a minute, add in the onion slices. Cook on medium to low heat until onion slices are wilted and about half of initial volume. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add in the tomato paste to onions. Cook for about five minutes until the tomato paste becomes fragrant. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
• Pour in the blended tomato mix into the pot. Stir. Then add in the spices. Add in about a teaspoon of salt. Cover and allow to cook on medium to low heat for about 20-25 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so to avoid burning at the bottom of the pot. The sauce is ready when you can see the tomato separating from the vegetable oil in the pot. Be careful at this stage because the sauce does splatter and can burn your skin.

Combining the Sauce and Rice

• Add four cups of cooked sauce and the partly cooked rice to a pot. Stir it together until sauce and rice are evenly distributed. If the sauce is less than four cups, don't worry, just add everything to the rice. You can skim off some of the oil if it makes you uncomfortable. Put the pot on low heat.
• Taste the rice and season with salt if needed. Add in about a quarter cup of water to the pot of rice. Tightly cover and allow to cook on low for about 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, open the pot and fluff up the rice gently. The sauce and all liquids should be fully absorbed. It is ready to serve.
• Serve the rice with slices of fresh tomatoes if you can get them. Enjoy!