Last night in honor of the Giants being in the playoffs, I decided I had to make the number one meal people associate with football: CHILI. Usually I hate anything associated with being vegetarian, but I must say you won't miss the beef in this dish. The key is the spice and all the other elements that give it a filling and bold taste. I also wanted to try slow cooking this dish to see what a difference it would make and let me tell you, there's a reason why people slow cook things....the slow cooking made all the flavors develop tenfold. I am also convinced that this chili was the reason the Giants sacked the Pack yesterday, so now it's my good luck chili :)
Let's get cooking!
Saz's Bean Chili
1 Red Onion
5 Garlic Cloves
2 Celery Ribs
1 tbsp. Fresh Basil
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp. Turmeric
1/2 tsp. Coriander
1 can Tomato Paste
2 cups Water
1 cup Frozen Corn
3/4 cup Frozen Peas
3 cans of Beans -- I used Pinto, Cannellini, and Kidney
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Chipotle Pepper Powder
>Chop up your red onion
>And your 2 ribs of celery
>Dice up the 5 cloves of garlic nice and small (or you can use a garlic press if you find that easier)
>Chop up about a handful of Basil (roughly 1 tablespoon)
>In a large pot, add 2 tbsp. of Olive Oil and let heat up a bit. Add in your tsp. of cumin seeds and cook for about 2 minutes or until they start to pop and become fragrant.
>Here's the part I love - this week I finally got myself my first MASALA DHABA! A Masala Dhaba is a small vestibule that holds 7 small bowls of all your Indian spices (cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry powder, cumin powder, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala). It makes getting to the spices extremely easy and looks awesome too :)
>Add in your basil, turmeric and coriander and mix well.
>While the onion mixture is cooking, get your beans ready. Rinse off the beans in a colander and drain thoroughly.
>Also get your tomato paste ready...
>Add your beans, tomato paste and 2 cups of water to the mix and stir well
>Add in your corn and peas -- they can still be frozen when you add them in.
>Also add in your chili and chipotle pepper powder and mix.
>Beautiful colors! I covered the pot and put the heat down to the lowest setting on my stove and let it cook for 4 hours - stirring every 30 minutes to make sure everything was being cooked evenly.
>After 4 hours - you have the most incredible Bean Chili, perfect for a cold Sunday Football day.
>I added sour cream (just because I literally put Sour Cream of anything)... DELICIOUS!
This will make enough chili for about 4 large servings. You can get creative with toppings if you'd like -- some suggestions I have are shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, and/or tomatoes. It's not only a delicious dish but it's extremely healthy - packed with veggies, lean protein (beans) and fiber! I urge you to make this for your next chili endeavor :) ENJOY!
Yes please!
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