Frilly Chili-Bean Stew

Another bloggerie imported from "The Other Side of My Life".

Did I mention, I love beans? Here is my basic recipe for "Frilly Chili-Bean Stew". I call it "Frilly" because of the frills I put under and over it at the table.

This recipe evolved from my many years of making various types of Chili. I grew up in New Mexico, spent 5 years in Southern California, and the past 20 years in Texas. Yes, Chili has been a big part of my life. I have eaten and cooked Chili with/without meat, with/without various beans, with various combinations of vegetables and spices.

My ex-husband grew up in India and passed on his love of that cuisine to me. He taught me my first Curry Recipe. I have gone on to try various cookbooks of Indian Cooking. I love it.

This recipe reflects both these styles of cooking as I find their spices to be compatible. My secret ingredient in whatever Chili I make is Garam Masala from India. A little or a lot, I love what it does to Chili (and some tacos, etc).

The Salsa is made like Pico De Gallo in the Mexican Tradition but with cucumbers added in the Indian Tradition.

So, follow the instructions below to make "Frilly Chili-Bean Stew". Feel free to substitute ingredients at will, adjust the spice amounts, etc.

Note: I usually cook a bag of beans in my crockpot without salt and fully covered with water until just tender. Then I freeze them in meal sized batches (2 cups each). You can also use canned. When I make Rice, I always make a double batch and freeze the extra.

Disclaimer: I don't measure much, so the amounts given are approximations.

Frilly Chili-Bean Stew

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1-2 stalks cellery, chopped or sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Chile Powder
1/2 - 1 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp Oregano
2 -3 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups cooked small red beans (if using canned, drain them and use the higher amount of water)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 - 1 tsp Salt
1/2 small can tomato paste
Cheddar cheese (or whatever you like)
Cooked rice
tortillas (either flour or corn), heated
Salsa*

Steps:

1. Put the olive oil in a Soup Pot (should be at least 6-8 cup capacity) with the onions, bell pepper, carrot, celery, and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent or a little golden (whichever you prefer).

2. Add cumin, chile powder, garam masala and oregano. Stir for about 1 minute:

3. Add the water, tomatoes, beans, corn, and tomato paste. Salt to taste. Simmer till all the vegetables are tender.

While it simmers,

4. Cook some rice if you don't already have some made.

5. Make the Salsa* (see below)

6. grate some cheese and set aside.

8. Serve Frilly Chilli Bean Stew over rice, top with shredded cheese and some salsa. Serve tortillas on the side. Ummmmm, Yum. For those of you who are as decadent as I am, you can also put some cheese on top of the rice before adding the stew. Cheese over and under! Yeah, we like cheese.

*Salsa

Mix the following ingredients altogether in a bowl:

1 medium Tomato, chopped
1/4 c. Bell Peppers, chopped (if you don't like it hot) OR 1-2 Tbsp jalapeno, serrano, etc (for those of us who DO like it hot!)
1/2 small to medium Onions, chopped
1-2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
pinch of salt, or to taste

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