Mexican bean and lentil chilli
Ingredients:
- olive oil
- 100g onions
- 100g of peppers (bell peppers, poblanos, whatever you have)
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 30g of dried ancho chillies
- 20g garlic
- 20g tomato paste
- 3 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
- 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 teaspoons cumin powder
- 3 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 600g tomatoes
- 400g can of tomatoes
- 100g red lentils
- 100g corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 200g mix of pre-cooked black beans and red kidney beans
- 3 teaspoons tamari soy sauce
- rice
- parsley
- cheddar cheese
- yoghurt
Methods:
- Start boiling the rice.
- Dice the onions.
- In a heavy bottom pot, heat a bit of olive oil. Saute the onions over medium heat.
- Chop the peppers and add them in. Add salt.
- While they are sauteing, chop the fresh tomatoes. Handblender the contents of the tomato can, if it is not already in the pulp format.
- Roughly chop the dried ancho chillies and add them into the pot. Use the garlic press to add garlic directly into the pot. Stir.
- Once you can smell the garlic, add tomato paste and dry spices (Kashmiri chili, smoked paprika, cumin, cocoa) and mix everything well.
- Add chopped fresh tomatoes and a can of tomatoes. Refill the can with the bean cooking liquid (or water) twice and add it in.
- Add red lentils, mix everything. Bring to a boil and lower the heat.
- While the lentils are cooking, pre-heated a large clean pan. Char fresh or frozen corn until it develops dark brown spots and starts popping.
- After about 15min, add in beans (freshly cooked, frozen or from a can) and charred corn. Add more water/bean cooking liquid if needed.
- Let it simmer for another 10min. Check that lentils are done.
- Add tamari soy sauce. Stir, taste, and adjust salt, acidity, spice and sweetness levels by adding tamari soy sauce, vinegar, chilli powder and brown sugar respectively.
- Serve topped with parsley, grated cheddar cheese and/or yoghurt, with rice on the side.
Inspired by: Brian Lagerstrom