I started cooking this recipe when I had a few tins of kidney beans in the cupboard that were about to go off. I had been reading about the benefits of eating beans (Beans are a digestive wonder thanks to their high protein and fiber content, supporting the movement of food through our digestive system) and pulses so I went a little crazy at the supermarket and bought way too many. However I had no idea how to prepare or cook them. So when I was giving the cupboards a clear out I decided to google a chilli recipe as I knew it would contain the kidney beans. (At least they were taken care of.) It is now one of my favourite recipes of all time and I make it often. Don’t be too worried about the amount of oil at the start of cooking. By the time you fill the pot it works out to a small amount per portion and coconut oil has many health benefits.

Ingredients:

about half a cup of coconut oil
3 large onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 chili
2 tins of kidney beans
enough passata to cover
15 mushrooms
2 bell peppers, whatever colour you like
cumin
chili powder
pimenton (smoked paprika) if you can get it

Optional extras include:

cacao powder, 1 tbsp

How To:

In a large pot (I use our biggest) heat up the oil. Get it warm on a medium heat.
Add about two tablespoons of cumin to oil. If you can find some pimenton, sprinkle some in. Throw in some chili powder, a teaspoon or so depending on how spicy you want your chili to taste or how red you want it to look.

Now the chopped onions. Sautè them for quite a while so that they get nice and soft, maybe ten minutes or so.

This is the point where you can personalise the paste. I like to add some cacao.

Throw in some chopped garlic and chopped chili pepper. You might want to deseed the chili pepper if you don’t want to add too much spice.

Now that you’ve got a good paste going, it’s time to use it to coat your vegetables. Don’t go crazy with the number of different types of veg you use. I tend to stick to just mushrooms and peppers, chopped into bite-sized pieces. Stir them around, get them all covered in the paste and let them cook like that for a while.

Once the veggies are nice and soft, throw in the chopped tomatoes. Turn up the heat until the mixture starts to bubble, then turn the heat back down again.

Drain your tinned beans. You don’t have to use kidney beans. Pinto beans or black beans are great too. Try using a mixture. Whatever beans you choose, be sure to wash them first to reduce the gaseous side-effects. Throw the beans into the pot. Get it all bubbling again and then turn down the heat.

And now you must be patient. The chili should simmer for at least an hour or two, preferably longer. I start mine in the morning after breakfast. If you can make it a day ahead of time, it always tastes better after being reheated.

I like to serve my Chili with potatoes, roasted or boiled. But you could also serve with wholegrain rice or tortilla chips.

Enjoy! x

I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe. Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for updates and feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

Emma x

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Chili Sin Carne Recipe

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