There is nothing wrong with a chilli con carne but try not to have red meat more than a couple of times a week (as it’s high in saturated fats). When you want a good veggie meal, this chilli is lovely. It’s got loads of fresh vegetables and flavour. Serve it with brown rice and maybe even a dollop of homemade guacamole and salsa on the side. This makes a big batch so save whatever’s left over and either freeze it or enjoy it for lunch the next day.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- A bunch of fresh coriander
- 1 fresh red chilli
- 1 fresh green chilli
- 2 x 400 g tinned beans, such as kidney, chickpea, pinto or cannellini
- 2 x 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to season
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas 6.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into chunks. Sprinkle with a pinch each of cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, then spread out on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes (or until soft and golden)
- Peel and roughly chop the onion. Halve, deseed and roughly chop the peppers. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
- Pick the coriander leaves, chop the stalks and deseed and finely chop the chillies.
- Meanwhile, put a large pan over a medium-high heat and add a dash of olive oil. Pop in the onion, peppers and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the coriander stalks, chilli and spices and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring every couple of minutes.
- Drain the beans and tip them into the pan with the tinned tomatoes. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium-low heat and leave for 25 to 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced. Keep an eye on it, and add a splash of water if it gets a bit thick.
- Stir the roasted sweet potato through your chilli with most of the coriander leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper
- Enjoy!