Lentil Chili with Peppers and Red Kidney Beans

Vegetables

1. A bowl of meatless chili made with lentils, red kidney beans and lots of different peppers is a very tasty dish. As a friend put it, pure healthy eating and vegetarian, but spicy. Choose hot chili varieties to your taste: jalapeño, cayenne and so on. If you can buy ready-roasted bell peppers, all the better. In season, you can roast the peppers and tomatoes on a grill first: the smoky taste and aroma only help.

   

2. Peel the onion and cut it into large dice. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, sunflower or olive, in a frying pan and fry the onion over medium heat until soft.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the peppers. Remove the seeds and stems from all the bell peppers and cut them into large dice; the chili can be sliced crosswise into small pieces seeds and all. Most of the heat is in the seeds, so if you want the dish less hot, remove them too.

   

4. Add all the chopped peppers to the onion and fry over medium heat with the pan uncovered, stirring often. Gradually the peppers will lose moisture and start to brown. Fry until the onion starts to darken and caramelize. Season the vegetables with salt and ground black pepper. Also add ground cumin or caraway: we add quite a lot, a scant 1 tsp, but go by your own taste.

   

Lentils

1. You can use red, green or black lentils, whichever you like, or a mix. You can soak the lentils in cold water beforehand, but they cook well dry too. For a cup of lentils (170 g) and this amount of vegetables you usually need 3.5-4 cups of water (700–800 ml). You can use vegetable stock to keep the dish vegetarian.

2. Add the lentils to the pan with the fried onion and peppers, stir and fry for 2-3 mins.

   

4. Simmer the lentils over medium heat, adding the water or stock in portions, one cup at a time. Add a cup of liquid (200 ml), wait until the lentils absorb it, then add more, usually for about 20 mins. It’s the same approach used for risotto. It makes it easy to control how thick the dish ends up: you may need more or less liquid.

   

Tomatoes and beans

1. Canned red kidney beans are sold everywhere, or you can cook a cup of dried beans (170 g); it’s best to soak them overnight before cooking.

2. When the lentils are almost done, add the tomato paste, which boosts the flavor a lot, and finely chopped garlic. Rinse the cooked red kidney beans a little and add them to the pan. Also add a can of crushed tomatoes, chopping or squashing them by hand first. Stir everything and bring to a boil.

   

3. Add more salt to taste and, if you love truly hot food, some dried ground chili. Adjust the heat as you like. But don’t hold back: this dish should be hot. Turn the heat down to below medium and cover the pan. Simmer the chili with lentils and beans for 10-15 mins, stirring from time to time. The finished chili should be about as thick as runny yogurt, and the lentils should be fully cooked and soft.

   

Serving

1. Corn chips or nachos are often served alongside, though ordinary whole-grain bread works great too.

2. Get ready some whole chili peppers and a little cilantro or green onion. Spoon the chili into bowls, add the fresh chili and herbs, and serve hot or warm.