Magic Chilli Con Carne
Okay, have you ever had that thing where a nice aroma passes your nose and you think, “That is what I am looking for!” Well, I kind of had that today. Because I am busy later, I need to cook a dish that family members can just microwave up when they are passing. Chilli Con Carne is always a goody since I can cook it nice and early, it microwaves well and it goes down well on a cold, damp evening.
I don’t think I have ever made it the same way twice, but today I came up with a slight variation that I have to note down so I CAN repeat it next time. Chilli often has a “perfume” to it, often using ground cumin and occasionally a little cinnamon and cloves. This recipe doesn’t move a long way away from that, but just enough to make a nice change. Ever looking for another use for Star Anise? Well, here you go!Ingredients: (4 people)
- 500g ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- 6 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 baby tin tomato puree
- 500ml beef stock
- 2 table spoons chopped, bottled jalapenos
- 1 star anise
- 2 tablespoons cumin seed
- 10 pods cardamon
- salt and pepper
- 1 chilli, chopped and deseeded
- 2 tbs ground nut oil
- 1 tin Kidney Beans, rinsed
Heat the oil and fry off the onion and garlic and chopped chilli gently till soft. Grind finely the cardamon, star anise and cumin, removing the cardamon casings and chucking them.
Add the spice mix to the onions and fry gently for just a few moments. You will start smelling the lovely perfume of the spices. Add the beef and brown. Add the jalapenos, the kidney beans and the chopped tomatoes. Stir for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree and the beef stock. Turn the heat right down, put on the lid tightly and simmer for 1.5 hours or more. Check occasionally to make sure the tomatoes are not becoming bitter.
Towards the end, stir in a handful of finely chopped parsley and season to taste.
And there you go! Serve with rice and a tomato and onion sallad
Related posts:
- Arabic Lamb
- Eggplant Heaven – Imam Bayildi
- Mediterranean Chunky Soup – The Soup Diet
- Roasted Red Pepper Ketchup
- Dahl and Rice – Bear Style
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...