Some of the original intro from my first book A Modern Way to Eat - I might write it differently now but it feels cute (and John has graduated to husband now - reader, I married him etc);
My boyfriend John loves chilli, and since we moved away from eating meat I’ve been trying to put together something that I felt could stand up to the depth of flavour I had come to love about it before the switch. It has been a long time coming, but this is it.
I find most vegetarian chillies based around lots of beans to be a bit too filling and not very interesting to eat. This one uses lentils, some little beans and grains that give character and texture and seem to take on the punchy flavours much more readily.
Feel free to mix and match the grains as you like – this is a great way to use up those odds and ends left at the bottom of a jar. Pearl barley, farro and amaranth also work well (but steer clear of couscous, it cooks too quickly).
The amount of stock needed will depend on the type of grain you use, so if you do experiment with different grains (which I would encourage), make sure you watch the liquid levels and top up if needed.
First get out your biggest pot and place it on a medium heat. Add a splash of olive or rapeseed oil and cook the 2 chopped onions, 8 cloves chopped garlic, thumb of chopped ginger and finely chopped chilli for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet.
Now add the 1 teaspoon of chilli powder, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds and stir around in the pan for a minute or two.
Then add all the tablespoon of chipotle paste, 3 tins of chopped tomatoes, 2 drained tins of Puy lentils, 100g of bulgur wheat, 100g of quinoa, 1 can of black beans with their liquid and a tablespoon of cocoa. Add 1 litre of the stock to start with, and keep the rest on hand to add as needed if the chilli starts to look a bit dry.
Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to low and leave to simmer and blip away for 30–35 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and the chilli is deep and flavoursome. Add the remaining litre of stock as needed.
Make a thyme oil by mixing the 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 finely chopped chillies and the leaves from a small bunch of thyme with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Taste your chilli and add a little more salt and pepper if you like. Serve in bowls, topped with a little yoghurt, a drizzle of thyme oil and some warmed corn tortillas for scooping.
The cooked chilli can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 4 months, I reheat it in a pan with a little extra water until piping hot. See Ideas above for ways to use leftovers.
"Packed full of delicious, healthy recipes that are quick and easy to make, A Modern Way To Eat is a totally modern take on vegetarian cooking." With over 200 recipes that are as simple to make as they are nourishing, satisfying and truly tasty. Based on how Anna likes to cook and eat every day.
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