Happy snow day, everybody!
In case you don’t live in the Midwest, about 10 inches of
snow has been dumped in the middle of Kansas. Most schools and businesses were
closed around 9:00 p.m. last night, long before the first snowflake had
even hit the ground.
Today, I’ve baked a loaf of bread and made granola bars, but
if I didn’t have a bunch of leftovers that I needed to eat this week, I’d
totally be making this chili instead of blogging right now. It's just perfect for a chilly, blustery day like this!
Now, let me start with a caveat: I don’t really like chili.
Growing up, my parents adored chili. Some winters, they made
it twice a week, and we always had leftovers two of the five remaining nights. It
was perfectly fine chili—my favorite chili, even, with its rich tomatoes and
approachable spices, hearty with kidney beans and ground beef—but by the time I
went to college, I couldn’t stand the sight of the stuff. Never again, I thought.
Eventually, after about three years without it, I started to
crave chili again during my senior year of college. I played around with a
bunch of vegetarian chili recipes, got disappointed, and gave up.
But about a year ago, I stumbled upon Emeril’s spicy delicious magical unicorn of a vegetarian chili; I made a lazy person’s simplified, pantry-friendly version
of it and was in love. Here was a
chili I could get behind!
But the true origin of this chili came one night when I
wanted to make it and discovered that I was short on both black beans and chili
powder. After poking through my cabinets, I came up with a solution. Hence my magical curried chili with chickpeas was born!
This is a rock ‘n’ roll vegan chili. It’s hearty and swampy
and satisfying and subtly exotic. The curry powder isn't noticeable, but it does add a layer of richness and aroma that's unusual in a chili. But most importantly of all, it doesn’t mess around: it
is spicy. And award-winning! (I tied
for first place in my office’s chili cook-off this year. I was waaaaaayyyyy too
proud of myself!)
So, yes, this chili does pass muster, even with omnivores.
In the words of my ground beef-loving, chili con carne-venerating father, “I
would actually eat this again.” Which, in case you don’t know him, is very high praise.
This chili is a snow day essential, and it’s likely that you
have everything you need on hand to make it. Even if you’re missing some of the
ingredients, it’s a very flexible recipe: as long as you have the onions,
garlic, corn, tomatoes, beans, and chili powder, you’re going to come up
with something pretty tasty.
Note: I just saw The Delta Saints at a local venue. Half of the band is from Kansas, and they were
shockingly good. If you like really loud blues-influenced Southern rock played by
some technically skilled white kids wearing suspenders, definitely check them
out. They put on a good show.
Happy snow day, Kansas!
 |
| The view from my kitchen window around noon today. What do you think? About 10 inches? |
2 TBSP canola or vegetable oil
1 ½ cup chopped sweet yellow onion
1 cup chopped sweet bell pepper (orange and yellow are best,
but red works and even green will do in a pinch)
2 TBSP minced garlic (I don’t measure this out, but 4 cloves
usually works for me)
2-3 minced Serrano peppers (jalapenos are a fine substitute, but please always watch out for pepper burns when you’re chopping!)
---
2 cups of corn kernels (I use frozen sweet corn microwaved to room temperature)
---
1 ½ TBSP chili powder
½ TBSP curry powder (replace this with more chili powder, if
you don’t have curry on hand)
1 TBSP cumin powder
½ tsp salt (add more later to taste)
¼ scant tsp cayenne powder (if you want a milder chili, go
with 1/8 tsp or skip it altogether)
---
1 large can diced stewed tomatoes (4 large fresh tomatoes
work as well)
1 can tri-blend beans, rinsed and well-drained
½ can black beans, rinsed and well-drained
½ can chickpeas, rinsed and well-drained (feel free to use
whatever beans you have on hand—a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans
makes for a perfectly delicious substitution!)
1 small can of tomato sauce (optional—I’ve made this without
the tomato sauce, and it’s a little less soupy but perfectly tasty)
1 scant cup water
---
To taste, salsa for spice and richness, salt, additional oil
for richness, and red wine vinegar or lemon juice for acid and tang.
---
Optional toppings and accompaniments:
chopped cilantro
sliced avocado
Daiya vegan mozzarella
vegan sour cream or vegan onion raita
vegan cornbread
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium or medium-high heat.
Once warm, saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and peppers for about 3
minutes.
Add the corn kernels and saute for another 5 or 6 minutes.
Add chili powder, curry powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne to
the pot and mix well, sauteing for another 30 seconds to a minute.
Add canned (or fresh) tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, and water
to the pot. Bring back up to a low boil and simmer for 20 minutes. (Or, add
these final ingredients, bring to a low boil, and leave on low in your crock pot until needed.)
After 20 minutes of simmering (or hours of crock potting),
taste the chili and add the "to taste" ingredients as needed (salsa, salt, oil, and red wine vinegar or lemon juice). Serve with cornbread, a blizzard, and bluesy
southern rock.
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