Chili Con Carne

Adding on to my last post on Mexican food, here is another favourite Chili Con Carne. In simple words it is a spicy stew containing chilli peppers, meat and beans. There are various stories and debates to where this dish originated. Some say that chili was invented in Mexico during the 1840′s, possibly in Chihuahua, as a complimentary dish served at cantinas for outsiders, who wanted something spicy and cheap. Others contend it was born in Ensenada, Mexico in the 1880′s as a way of stretching available meat in the kitchens of poor Tejanos. Many Texans maintain that it was the invention of Texas cowhands who ate it by the bucketful as the drove their herds across the plains. The most imaginative origin traces its roots back to pre-Columbian Aztec chefs.

 

If you search I’m sure you will find many versions of this recipe, some recipes even  use chocolate! Believe it or not chocolate is a very common ingredient in Mexican cuisine even in savoury dishes!

Well here goes my version of the Mexican Stew.

 

Ingredients

 

1½ cup mutton/lamb mince or minced beef

1½ cup boiled red kidney beans

1½  tsp ancho chilli powder (available in gourmet stores)

1 tsp red chilli flakes (adjust the heat to your preference)

2  tsp roasted cumin powder

1½ tbsp. garlic paste

200 ml Tomato puree

¾ cup finely sliced onions

2 inch cinnamon stick

4 tbsp neutral vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper cut into chunks

¼ cup finely chopped coriander

Salt to taste

 

Suggestion:

·         For a vegetarian version you could use soya keema

·         Ancho chilli powder is made from the sweetest dried chile, and has a moderately spicy but rich flavour. In case you don’t get ancho chilli powder you could adjust the red chillis to keep the heat to as much as you like it or to add a bit of a smokey tang you could add a about 1tsp of Smoked Chipotle Tabasco Sauce.

 

Method

 

For the Salsa

·         In pressure cooker heat oil add cinnamon stick and add onions. Stir fry the onions till they turn light brown. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. (You could also use a regular pan, however the mutton would take longer to cook)

·         Add mince to the cooker and stir on a slow flame till the mince starts to change colour, say about 5-7 minutes

·         Add tomato puree and let it cook on a slow flame for about 5 minutes

·         Add cumin powder, chilli powder (red and ancho), bell peppers, coriander, and about 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on a high flame till you hear two whistles and then cook on a slow flame for 10 minutes.

·         If you’re cooking in a regular pan, you may need to cook this for about 20-25 minutes (add water if you feel the stew is drying up in open cooking)

 

Serving suggestions –

·         You could serve this either with brown/white rice and a dollop of sour cream;  

·         a slightly dry version of the chilli can even be wrapped in a tortilla along with sour cream and Jalapenos;

·         You could take Nachos and spread a good layer in a baking bowl add chilli on top, grate some cheddar cheese and add some jalapenos and bake in a pre-heated oven at about 200C for 15 minutes till you see the cheese melt and brown slightly
 

 

 

Commentary on Chilli Con Carne sourced from: http://www.squidoo.com/