This is chilli with a difference, it uses black beans, and I find the addition of coriander and limes a refreshing change. It is served with an Avocado Salsa, which contrast nicely with the heat of the chilli. A cool bite.
Ingredients
225 tin of black deans rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped small
1 rounded tablespoon plain flour
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
1 large red pepper
juice ½ lime
salt
For the avocado salsa:
2 large, firm tomatoes
1 ripe firm avocados
½ small red onion, finely chopped
juice ½ lime
a few drops Tabasco sauce
salt and freshly milled black pepper
4 tablespoons crème fraîche
pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
Strip the leaves off the coriander stalks into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and place them in the fridge. Then chop the coriander stalks very finely indeed. After that, take the casserole, heat half the oil in it and cook the onions, garlic, coriander stalks and chillies gently for about 10 minutes
Then transfer them to a plate, spoon in the rest of the oil, turn the heat up high, add about a third of the beef and brown it well, keeping it on the move. Then remove it and brown the rest in 2 batches. Now return everything to the casserole and sprinkle in the flour, stir it in to soak up the juices, then add the drained beans, followed by the tomatoes. Stir well and bring it up to simmering point. Don’t add any salt at this stage – just put the lid on and transfer the casserole to the oven to cook for an initial 1½ hours.
Towards the end of that time, prepare and chop the pepper into smallish pieces. Then, when the time is up, stir the pepper in to join the meat and beans. Put the lid back on and give it a further 30 minutes’ cooking.
Prepare the salsa. Cut each tomato in half and, holding each half over a saucer, squeeze gently to extract the seeds. Now chop the tomato flesh as finely as possible.
Next, halve the avocado, remove the stone, and scoop out the flesh. Chop the avocado into minutely small dice, then do the same with the onion. Finally, combine everything together in a bowl, adding seasoning, the juice of half the lime, half the reserved coriander, chopped, and a few drops of Tabasco.
Before serving the chilli, add salt, tasting as you add. Then stir in the rest of the coriander leaves and the juice of half the lime.
Serve with plain boiled rice or wraps. Add a dollop of crème fraìche.
Original recipe Delia Smith Winter cooking
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