Meatless Red Chili

Last year, the community I stayed in hosted a big chili cookout. Till then, the only green and red chilies I knew where the ones from the grocery store. A click on Google revealed that the chili they were talking about was supposed to be a spicy stew. Now that seemed very convenient because a stew can be a combination of any vegetables and any meat, perfect for hiding one’s cooking blunders!

What ultimately made me take part in the competition was not my love for cooking but the prize of 300 dollars off in next month’s rent. As I ventured into the unknown territory of cooking a chili (that too a meatless version) it was like entering a fascinating world of colors and aroma. For one it takes ages to cook, the slower the better and so the flavors and the smell just float around you for hours while it cooks until you can’t wait to eat it. However the highlight of a chili is the use of so many complex ingredients to create this one simple dish. You keep adding and adding and adding ingredients only to create a solitary dish where all of them blend in beautifully together.

Ingredients

Red onion diced – 1 large

Minced garlic – 4 cloves

Red bell pepper diced – 1 medium

Orange bell pepper diced – 1 medium

Crumbled tofu – half a cup

Diced tomato – 1 can (28 oz)

Tomato ketchup – 1 tsp

Dark red kidney beans – half a can (14 oz)

Light red kidney beans – 1 can

Vegetable broth – 1 can

Corn kernels – 1 can

Cooking oil – 2 tsp

Red chili powder – 1 tsp

Red chili flakes – half tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Water – 4 cups

Salt and pepper

Thinly sliced green bell pepper – for garnish as needed

Grated carrot – for garnish as needed

Grated cheese – for garnish as needed

Heat oil in a deep cooking vessel and sauté onions till cooked. Add  garlic, red and orange bell peppers, tofu, corn and cook for 5 minutes while stirring. Crush the dark red kidney beans into a thick chunky paste and add to the vegetables already being cooked. Add the remaining kidney beans, diced tomato, spices, salt, pepper, water and vegetable broth. Now let it cook on low heat for 2 hours. Alternatively, transfer the whole thing into a slow cooker and let it simmer away for 6 – 8 hours. At the end of the cooking time the dish should have a stew like thick consistency. Add tomato ketchup and mix as you turn the heat off.  Garnish with green bell pepper, carrot and cheese before serving. Till then, food and more food..