This is a firm favourite with me and my husband and my girls eat it too, even my little one. I make a very mild version and then do a chilli rice for me and my husband.
Serves 4 adults / or 2 adults and 4 – 6 kiddie portions. Freezes really well too.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 to 1 tsp mild chilli powder (depending on who you are cooking for – if you want a hot chilli, add 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 500g/1lb 2 oz lean minced beef
- 1 beef stock cube
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 410g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
For a chilli rice
Serves 2 adults (if you have made your chilli mild for the kids to enjoy)
- 150g rice
- 450ml water
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 mins, or until soft.
- Tip in the red pepper, garlic, chilli, paprika and cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for 5 mins, stirring now and then.
- Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and stir for about 5 mins until all the mince is browned.
- Crumble the stock cube in 300ml water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, marjoram and sugar, and season to taste.
- Stir in the tomato purée.
- Bring to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan.
- Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Add a couple of tbsps water if the mixture becomes dry, it should look thick, moist and juicy.
- Stir the beans into the chilli pot.
- Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 mins, adding a little more water if it looks too dry.
- Season to taste. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 10 mins before serving to allow the flavours to mingle and the meat to soak up some of the liquid, making it meltingly tender.
- For the chilli rice – fry the onion and chilli until soft.
- Add the rice and give it a good stir.
- Then add the water, bring to the boil, turn down the heat, replace the lid and let the rice simmer gently for about 15 – 20 mins (check the cooking times on your rice packet) until the rice has absorbed all the water.
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