CHILI CON CARNE- Kidney Bean and Corn Stew

If you like Rajma you will love this dish. Its spicy sweet and robust. A one pot classic that will feed you for a couple of days.

A complete meal, this nutritious dish is of Mexican origin and a part of South Western cuisine in the United States. You can use a variety of kidney beans for it. It can be made entirely vegan with sweet potato instead of meat. If you use sweet potato add less brown sugar.

INGREDIENTS FOR 6

  • 250 grams  red or speckled kidney beans (you can use pinto or black beans or a mix as well)
  • 1-2 large red onion finely chopped (about 1.5 cups)
  • 2 bell peppers red and yellow
  • 6 garlic cloves finely sliced
  • 4 tbsp veg or olive oil
  • 500 gram minced chicken/beef or uses peeled and chopped sweet potato (about 1/2 inch dice)
  • 400g can tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 200 ml tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
  • 1 cup fresh shelled corn
  • SPICES
  • 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cumin powder

  • 1/2-1 tsp paprika or red chilli powder
  • Hot sauce of your choice  I used chipotle but habanero jalapeño is also fine
  • Salt to taste
  • TO SERVE (optional)
  • sour cream and or grated cheddar, to serve
  • cilantro or fresh coriander leaves to garnish
  • Tacos, gutLI pao, cornbread as an accompaniment

METHOD

Wash and soak kidney beans in excess water 4-5  hours or overnight. Wash drain and reserve.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan on a high flame. Saute onions and garlic till soft but do not brown them. Add bell peppers and cook until soft and water evaporates. Add carrots and saute one minute. Add tomatoes and tomato puree and saute 2-3 minutes. Add corn and kidney beans and combine. Add all spices and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well. Add some water if required and pressure cooker on medium heat for 2 whistles.

This stew is thick and juicy but not not runny. The meat when added will release a fair bit of water so add any extra liquid with care.

Open cooker and add meat. Stir well and pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Open and check for doneness. Add water salt, chilli powder and sugar as required.

This dish can also be prepared in a slow cooker. If using a large biryani or Dutch oven style pot you will need to add 2-3 cups of excess  water for the kidney beans.

 

HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

Mayonnaise first came on the scene in the 1700’s a recipe that is believed to have been conceived and developed by the great Chef Anton Careme. Mayonnaise changed the culinary world because it could replace ingredients like cream, enrich, thicken, stabilize so many different recipes and ingredients that it became a substitute for cream and gelatine and soon led to the north of hundreds of recipes based on its qualities. it is used in salads, sandwiches, soups,  as a side, a spread and a thickening agent.

It involves beating egg yolks over a long period of time while slowly incorporating oil into it.

The technique and the recipe is very simple. What is required is patience because in the ‘old’ days it was prepared by hand with a wire whisk.

The lack of time and patience is what created millionaires like Hellmans and Heinz who quickly

created packaged mayonnaise to replace homemade mayo and soon this ingredient because. permanent fixture in every kitchen worldwide.

Even today when hand and stand mixers make this task so much easier folks buy their mayonnaise. But nothing beats a homemade mayo. Its just two ingredients oil and egg yolks and you can use pretty much any oil you like. Add a few drops of basil or chilli oil to your vegetable oil. Add sesame or avocado oil.

Add any flavouring spice and herb you choose. Add minced garlic to make aioli. The sky is the limit.

For this of you who are vegan try my vegan tofu mayonnaise recipe also on this site. Watch the video on my IGTV feed.

Ingredients

. 3 egg yolks room temperature not cold

1 tablespoon wine vinegar or lemon juice (

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon dry or prepared mustard

1½ to 2¼ cups of vegetable or olive oil room temperature and not cold

1 tablespoon boiling water

 

METHOD

Beat the egg yolks for 1 to 2 minutes  using a hand or stand mixer with a ballon whisk until they are thick and sticky.

Add a drop of oil and beat again. Every one minute add one drop of oil for about 6-7 minutes.

Then increase the speed and add a teaspoon at a time. Keeping whisking.

Once the mayonnaise begins to thicken add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt and mustard. Beat for 30 seconds more.

Add more oil and continue to beat until all the oil is used up.

Now whisk the boiling water into the sauce quickly. This is an anti-curdling measure that will help produce a smooth mayonnaise that will be more resistant to splitting when added to say a hot soup or baked.

Season to taste. Scrape into an airtight container and refrigerate upto 10 days.