I think I have mentioned before how much we love Mexican food. Needless to say this dish is well practiced in our house. It is a very hearty vegetarian version of the original.
I always serve it with a large bowl of guacamole, green salad and rice. You could opt for a side of bread or corn chips instead of the rice or even just eat it on its own as a hearty stew.
Chilli Con Carne
A hearty vegetarian version of the original dish, made with red lentils and beans. I recommend a side of rice and guacamole. This is also a great filler for pies if you have any left over. Please note I use a 15ml tablespoon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils - soaked for at least 6 hours (it is healthier to soak red lentils but by no means necessary. If you do not soak them, simply add more water to your dish)
- 1 tin of beans or 3/4 cup dried (soaked and cooked) - Use pinto, borlotti or kidney
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/2 tbsp paprika - smoked is always best!
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 x tins crushed tomatoes or 1 x 900g bottle of passatta
- 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock - or 2 1/2 cups water plus a tbsp of stock paste
- sea salt to season - do this to taste
- freshly chopped coriander leaves to garnish
- lime wedges to serve
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Stir fry until tender.
- Add the garlic and spices and mix for one minute over medium heat.
- Drain the lentils and add to the pot with the tomatoes or passatta and stock. Mix well and cover for 20 minutes. You will need to stir the mix occasionally to make sure it does not stick to the pan. If your lentils are not soaked, make sure you keep an eye on the water level and add more as you need it.
- Once the lentils are soft, stir in the beans and heat through.
- Remove from heat and serve, garnished with coriander leaves and a wedge of lime. (You may also like to serve with rice and guacamole as mentioned above).
If you enjoyed this recipe, please let me know in the comments below. Thank you.
One Comment