- 3 onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 chilli
- A handful of coriander
- 400g tomatoes
- 1 butternut squash
- 400g tin of kidney beans
- 400g tin of aduki beans
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 75g dried red lentils
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ltr boiling water
- 1.
Peel the onions and finely chop them. Peel the garlic cloves and crush or finely chop them. Halve the chilli, scraping out the membrane and seeds for less heat, and finely chop it. Separate the coriander stalks and leaves (save the leaves for later in the recipe). Finely chop the stalks. Roughly chop the tomatoes.
- 2.
Top and tail the squash, then peel it. Slice in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Coarsely grate the flesh (if you have a food procesor, whizz it through the grater attachment to make this extra easy). Drain and rinse the beans.
- 3.
Pour 1 tbsp oil into a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, chilli, coriander stalks and 1 tbsp each smoked paprika and ground cumin along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, till slightly softened.
- 4.
Add the beans, squash and tomatoes. Cook for a further 5 mins.
- 5.
Stir in 1 tbsp cocoa powder and the lentils. Crumble in the stock cube. Pour in 1 ltr boiling water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook gently for 40 mins, stirring occasionally.
- 6.
Taste the chilli and add more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the coriander leaves.
- Tip
Eat & keep
This chilli will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Simply divide it into individual portions, cool completely then freeze in freezerproof tubs. Defrost thoroughly and reheat till piping hot. - Tip
Give your chilli a little more chilli
This chilli is a hearty feast for 6 people on it's own, but a few extras on the side will make it go even further. While the chilli is cooking, thinly slice a chilli and slide into a bowl. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and set aside to quickly pickle. Scatter over the finished chilli before serving for an extra kick. To feed even more mouths, serve alongside piles of coconut rice.