Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 700 g beef mince, preferably not too lean
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 green capsicum, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (or mild chilli powder)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 g canned chopped tomatoes (or 4 ripe tomatoes, pureed)
• 500 ml beef stock or hot water with 1 stock cube
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp brown sugar or jaggery
• 2 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (about 400 g canned)
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince in an even layer and break it up with a spoon. Cook, stirring only now and then, until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is browned in places, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the onions and capsicum with the salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden at the edges, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic, chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cocoa and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices smell toasty. Add a splash of water if they start to stick.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly and coats the meat.
5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock, then add the bay leaf and sugar. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to low, partly cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The chili should thicken and the oil should start to gather at the edges.
7. Stir in the kidney beans and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough that a spoon leaves a clear trail. Add a little hot water if it gets too dry.
8. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the salt, then let the chili rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Serve topped with the chopped coriander.

Tips

• Use mince with some fat (around 15%). Very lean mince turns dry and grainy in a long simmer.
• Do not crowd the pot when browning. If your pot is small, brown the beef in two batches so it fries instead of steaming.
• The cocoa will not make the chili taste like chocolate. It just rounds out the spices and deepens the colour.
• For more heat, add 1 or 2 chopped green chillies with the garlic, or a pinch of crushed red pepper at the end.