Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then set aside to drain.

Blend the fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnet pepper, half the onion, ginger and garlic cloves until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat.

Add the remaining chopped onion and cook until softened.

Once softened, add your tomato paste and cook this for roughly 5 minutes or until the tomato paste caramelises.

Into the pan add smoked paprika, all-purpose seasoning, garlic granules, onion granules and cook until aromatic for 60-90 seconds.

Add the blended tomato mixture to the pot and cook, stirring to combine with the tomato paste and sauce, then cover and cook for 25 minutes until it thickens.

Once reduced, add the rinsed and drained rice to the pot with the tomato sauce and stir well.

Pour in the beef stock and season with salt, thyme, bay leaves and additional all-purpose seasoning to taste. Stir everything together.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the lid and mix the rice together to ensure even sauce distribution, then cook for a further 55-65 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.

Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to sit uncovered for 10 minutes to remove excess steam.

Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains.

Serve the jollof rice hot as a main dish or as a side dish.