Vegan Chilli

This dish makes an appearance at least once at week at our place with a few variations each time! It is a safe bet for non vegan friends too. Experiment with quantities, this will feed 2-4 people with rice and is just delicious!

1 tin (or soaked and precooked) kidney beans

1 red chilli, diced or dried chillies (to your taste)

1 tin chopped tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes of course)

I onion, diced

1 cup red, green or dahl lentils (can cook in the pot so no need to pre-cook)

Handful of quartered mushrooms

One red or green pepper

Dash of vegan red wine (optional)

You can cook this chilli in the oven in a covered dish or in a stock pot on the stove. The slower it cooks, the better the taste. Cook the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Add all the other ingredients (this is one of those recipes I really like as it is so simple), and add a little water to just cover the ingredients. Add some heat to get it simmering, stir and then turn down the heat (if on the stove just enough to keep it piping hot but not bubbling much or if in the oven a medium heat will suffice). I cook for at least an hour but if in the oven I leave for at least two. Check at intervals and add some water if the mixture is soaking too much up and if to much liquid, add some tomato puree of a few more lentils (but make sure they have time to cook properly). The chilli should not be watery so wait until it has a thicker consistency before serving.

Serve with rice, jacket potatoes or potato wedges. Enjoy!