Mexican bean chilli

Ingredients:

  • olive oil
  • 100g onions
  • 100g fresh peppers (Romano peppers, poblanos, etc.)
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 30g dried chillies (ancho, etc.)
  • 20g garlic (about 4 cloves)
  • 20g tomato paste
  • 3-6 teaspoons chilli powder (chipotle, Kashmiri, smoked paprika, etc.)
  • 3 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 3 teaspoons cacao powder (not cocoa powder!)
  • 600g tomatoes
  • 400g can of tomatoes
  • 3 teaspoons tamari soy sauce
  • 400g mix of cooked beans (Red kidney, black, pinto, etc.)
  • 150g corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • wholegrain rice
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 lime
  • parsley

Methods:

  • Boil the beans, soaked the night before, in a pressure cooker. Keep the cooking liquid.
  • 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 fresh 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 chillies.
  • Use the garlic press to add garlic directly into the pot. Stir until you can smell the garlic, then add tomato paste, dried chillies and dry spices (chilli powder(s), 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) and add it in. Add tamari soy sauce. Let it simmer for another 15min.
  • Add in the cooked beans (freshly cooked, frozen or from a can) and corn kernels. Add more bean cooking liquid (or water) if needed. Let it simmer for another 15min.
  • Meanwhile, zest the lime. Mix avocado with the juice of the lime and the zest. Finely chop the parsley.
  • Stir, taste and adjust salt (tamari soy sauce), acidity (vinegar), spiciness (chilli powder) and sweetness (unrefined sugar, e.g. coconut sugar or jaggery).
  • Serve with rice and zingy avocado, sprinkled with parsley.

Inspired by: Brian Lagerstrom

Notes: The zingy avocado fulfils the creaminess and acidity roles that would otherwise be filled with Mexican crema and cheese.

Notes: The recipe requires a mix of several fresh, dried and powdered chillies. For less ingredients, try only fresh peppers and a jar of chipotle in adobo.