Chilli con carne is a delicious dinner which can be adapted to whatever you have lying around in the fridge and cupboards.
Traditionally, however, it is made using minced beef along with red kidney beans and a variety of herbs and spices.
It can be served on its own, with rice it even makes a great accompaniment to a jacket potato.
Jamie Oliver’s recipe notes said: “This hearty, all-time classic chilli con carne recipe is hard to beat, delicious.”
The recipe serves six people and is ready from start to finish in just over an hour.
Ingredients:
Two medium onions
Two cloves garlic
Two medium carrots
Two sticks celery
Two red peppers
Olive oil
One heaped teaspoon of chilli powder
One heaped teaspoon of ground cumin
One heaped teaspoon of ground cinnamon
One 400g tin of chickpeas
One 400g tin of red kidney beans
Two 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
500g quality minced beef
Half a bunch of fresh coriander
Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Method:
Start by peeling and finely chopping the onions, garlic, carrots and celery before halving the red peppers, removing the stalks and seeds and roughly chopping them.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan before adding the chopped veg, chilli powder, cumin, cinnamon as well as some salt and pepper.
Cook them for around seven minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Next, drain and add the chickpeas and kidney beans as well as the tomatoes.
Then, pour in one tin’s worth of water before adding the minced beef, breaking any larger chinks with the back of a spoon.
Pick the coriander leaves and put aside, then finely chop and add the stalks into the pan along with the vinegar. Make sure to season to taste with some salt and black pepper.
Bring the mix to a boil before reducing it to low and simmering it with a lid slightly ajar for one hour, or until slightly thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
Jamie recommended serving with some fluffy rice, couscous, some crusty bread or over a jacket potato along with some yoghurt and guacamole.
Sprinkle over the fresh coriander and some fresh chilli if you like, then tuck into the hearty and healthy meal.
