CHILLI SIN CARNE

Steps:

• Put a heavy bottomed pan on a low heat to warm up.
• Prepare all your veg, chop the onion, mushrooms, leeks, red peppers into bite size bits. Chop the chilli (deseed if you don't like really hot chilli), crush and chop the garlic cloves and peel and chop the carrot (0.5 cm pieces).
• Add a good glug of oil to your pan and add the chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika and chilli flakes (if you don'™t like really spicy food, leave out the chilli flakes). Get the spices warm in the oil (they may go a little smoky) and then add the onion. Leave to gently cook on a low heat for 10 mins so the onions caramelize a little.
• Now add a few cubes of dark chocolate but ½ tsp brown sugar works just as well.
• Add the garlic and the chopped fresh chilli cook for a minute and then add a splash of whiskey (or beer) and cook off the alcohol. You should have a nice paste now.
• Throw in the rest of the veggies and stir so they are covered by the paste and cook for 5-10 minutes to soften.
• Add enough chopped tomatoes or passata or a combination of both until you have enough for the chilli (I tend to buy large cartons/tins, so usually have bits lying around the fridge). Add a good squirt of tomato puree or tomato ketchup and turn up the heat to bring the chilli up to the boil.
• Open your can of kidney beans and rinse under cold running water, once your chilli is upto temperature, mix in the kidney beans, season to taste, cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for at least 1 hour, 1.5 - 2 is better (as is making a day earlier and chilling overnight in the fridge).
• Serve as you like.
• With rice and tortilla chips to dip, or layer tortilla chips on a baking tray, cover with the chilli and some grated cheese and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Or, in a tortilla wrap with sour cream and grated cheese.