Photo: 2nd stage as mushrooms and chopped ingredients have just been added.
I am a big fan of chili's , especially as the good old bean is a good source of protein for all us plantpowered and vegan folks.
I've started buying the beans in their dried and organic form from my local organic and eco friendly shop OmNon Zero Waste in my hometown of Southport.
Buying the beans dried and organic has meant I've tried more varieties than I normally would and allowed me to identify my favourites so far, especially for chilli's.
The base of this dish is the good old Kidney bean, Black bean and the Harricot bean (as used in Baked beans).
Soaking the beans overnight will bulk up and incease the size and weight of the beans, so 500g dried will easily becoma at least 800g or more of total weight once soaked. You should consider this when comparing prices with tinned beans which you will drain and lose weight.
I find it best in chilli's to cut the veg into big chunks to give a chunky texture and I often call my chilli's a 'chunky veg' chilli.
Ingredients used
Dried goods:
500g of organic dried Kidney beans (soak overnight)
500g of organic dried Black beans (soak overnight)
500g of organic dried Harricot beans (soak overnight)
Fresh ingredients:
2 x large white onions
500g of white or chestnut mushrooms
6 x salad tomatoes, large chunks
5 x small chopped chilli's
Tins and jars:
400g of tinned chopped tomatoes
600g jar or carton of tomato passata sauce
Herbs and spices etc:
2 x teaspoons of chilli flakes (optional)
1 x teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 x teaspoons of cumin seeds
2 x teaspoons of cumin powder (optional)
1 x teaspoon of black pepper (powder or cracked)
1 x teaspoon of garlic salt OR 2 x teaspoons of chopped garlic
2 x veg stock cubes
Extras:
1.5 pints of hot water to mix the stock cubes and all spices together.
(Optional) vegetable gravy granules to thicken at end of cooking if needed.
Preparation
Start with all the beans in your cooking pot first and pour all the hot waterand spices mix over them and start cooking, make sure the dish is covered. I use a slow cooker.
A third of the way through cooking add all the rest of the ingredients i.e. chopped ingredients and the tin of chopped tomatoes and the jar of passata.
Continue cooking untill all the ingredients have softened and especially the beans are tender enough, and then either simmer to thicken or add the optional gravy granules to thicken, then leave and cool.
Once cooled portion up into appropriate containers, I use old takeaway containers , the plastic variety, and then I put a few portions in the fridge and the rest in the freezer.
I got 10 portions out of the above ingredient quantities.
Enjoy.
Photo: Organic dried beans after being soaked overnight.
Photo: Second stage of cooking straight after chopped ingredients are added.
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