Veggie Chilli

Serves 4

Warming and mildly spicy, this tastes even better the next day. Serve with a dollop of plain yoghurt and rice or tortillas.

 INGREDIENTS                                                      

●      1 tablespoon vegetable oil

●      1 medium onion

●      1 stick celery

●      2 carrots

●      2 garlic cloves finely chopped/minced

●      1 teaspoon chilli powder

●      1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

●      1 teaspoon ground cumin

●      1 teaspoon smoked paprika

● 1 pepper (any colour)

●      2 medium sweet potatoes or 1 very large one

●      100g dried red lentils

●  400g tin of chopped tomatoes or 500g carton passata

●      400g tin kidney beans or any other beans

●      Salt and pepper

●      Plain yoghurt and rice/tortillas to serve

EQUIPMENT

Knife, peeler, measuring spoons, wooden spoon, chopping board, saucepan.

ALLERGENS: Celery, Gluten (if using tortillas), Milk (if using yoghurt)

COOKING UP TIP: If you like spice, add more chilli, or don’t add it at all if you prefer it milder

METHOD  

STEP 1

Peel the onion and dice finely*. Trim the ends of the celery and dice into small pieces (similar size to the onions). Peel the carrots and chop into 1cm cubes.

STEP 2

Heat the vegetable oil in the saucepan and add the chopped vegetables. Stir well, cover and cook over a medium-low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often until soft. 

STEP 3

While the vegetables are cooking, place the garlic cloves on a chopping board and squash with the back of a wide-bladed knife; remove the skin and chop finely. Prepare the pepper: Prepare the pepper:** place the pepper on its side and trim off the top and bottom. Now stand the pepper up and make a cut down its side. Place it back on its side and roll it open, running your knife along the inside to remove the core, seeds and pith. Chop into 1cm cubes. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1cm cubes.

STEP 4

Add the garlic, chilli, cinnamon, cumin and smoked paprika to the pan and cook for a further minute. Next add the pepper, sweet potatoes and lentils stir well to combine. Add the tinned tomatoes or passata, fill up the empty tin/carton with water and add to the pan. Drain and rinse the tinned beans and add to the pan. Heat till bubbling and then partially cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 mins.

STEP 5

Season with salt and pepper and serve in bowls with rice or tortillas and topped with yoghurt.

*To dice an onion using the bridge and claw techniques: carefully cut off the pointed end of the onion on the chopping board. Stand the onion on its flat end. Make a bridge with your fingers and thumb and then cut the onion in half. Peel the papery skin and membrane.  Make a bridge and use the point of the knife to make cuts from just above the root, all the way to the top. Make your fingers into a claw and draw the knife across the onion. This makes small, even-sized pieces.

Source: ‘Food a Fact of Life’:  British Nutrition Foundation

**How to core and de-seed a pepper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBKnUbqUvqo 

This recipe is adapted from a Sainsbury’s recipe: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/recipes