Vegetarian chili

My first encounter with Chili was during Superbowl 2008. Office cafe was serving Super Bowl special food; nachos, tacos, baby back ribs and chicken wings! When I bought nachos, the server asked if I wanted 'some' chili with it. In my thought bubble I said, "I learned british English in India and we say chillies, not some chili." But being a sweet person I am (:P) I replied, "Sure!" And he poured this thick soup like mixture of beans and meat and veggies and sauce on my nachos. When I tasted it, I was instantly a fan of this recipe. Its a perfect blend of meat, broth, cooked veggies, beans, tomatoes and spices! Each spoonful bursts with flavor.

Over the years I learned that you can make chicken chili [just to respect the gau mata :P] as well as vegetarian chili. I also learned that its a distant cousin of our beloved Paav-Bhaji when it comes to going creative with use of veggies. So today I made this vegeterian chilli with what all things I had in my fridge!

Ingredients:

Rajma ie. Red Kidney beans : 1/4 cup, soaked overnight, then cooked completely
Toor daal and split chana daal : 1/3 cup, soaked for 4 hours [you can use any lentils basically]
1 big onion : Finely chopped
2 big tomatoes : Finely chopped
1 cup frozen mix veggies : this is the step where you can go creative, go wild, empty your fridge
1 can veggie broth or chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
8-10 baby carrots
1 small potato : chopped
1 spoon Ginger Garlic paste
2 Bay leaves
4-5 cloves
2 spoons chili powder
Salt to taste
Oil

Saute onions, ginger garlic paste in 2 spoons oil, add cloves and bay leaves. When onions become translucent, add tomatoes and chili powder.
Let it cook for 5 mins, then add veggies, corn kernels, carrots and potatoes.
After all vegetables are coated with spices, add broth, beans and lentils. Add some water if needed.
Add salt to taste and some more chili powder if you like. :)
Let it simmer for 30-45 minutes till it looks like the picture above! Or till all veggies are overcooked.
If you want to fasten the process, just throw everything in pressure cooker and let it whistle 4-5 times and you are done!!


It can go very well with Tortilla chips or even with rice or chapati. You can have it as soup as well OR make some Guacamole and you got yourself Taco night!

Love,
Priyanka