Jade's Special Chili

(developed in Columbae)

Materials

  • 1,  15 oz can of beans (kidney beans, Mexican chili beans, pinto beans, it’s all okay)
  • 1,  4 oz can of tomato sauce
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 – 1/6 package frozen vegetable mix (fresh vegetables are good too, like zucchini)
  • 1-2 fresh peppers (banana peppers, bell peppers, jalapenos, whatever combination you prefer, calibrated to approximately the volume of 2 bell peppers when chopped)
  • 1/4 block tofu (optional)
     
  • 2 cm2 of very dark chocolate (85% or more)
     
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground clove (or 1 clove)
  • 2 tsp garam masala (can be found at MarketPlace or any Indian grocery)
  • 1-2 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp black pepper
  • 1/2 - 1 Tbsp corn starch (or arrow root, or sprinkle sifted white flour if you can’t get either)
  • a reasonable amount of canola oil (varies depending on Teflon-ness of pan and patience of investigator—estimate 1/3 cup)
     

Methods

  1. Microwave frozen vegetables until warm to touch.
  2. Chop onions into fingernail-sized pieces and sautee in canola oil until the color begins to change (into slightly golden-brown).
  3. Slice tofu into cm3, and add to pan.  Stir and add oil so that there is excess after tofu absorbs oil.
  4. Add chopped peppers and stir.   Add oil if necessary (i.e. if peppers have absorbed all the oil).
  5. Add defrosted vegetables and stir.  Add oil if necessary.
  6. Roughly chop garlic and add to pan.  Stir for 3-5 minutes (depending on heat).
  7. Open cans of beans and tomato sauce.
  8. Drain beans and add to pan.  Add tomato sauce to pan.  Stir.  Heat on high until simmering, then reduce to low heat.
  9. Break chocolate into small easily dissolvable pieces.
  10. Add clove, salt, cumin, garam masala, black pepper, and chocolate.  Stir until even.
  11. Let simmer for one hour.  Stir occasionally.
  12. Dissolve corn starch in minimum possible amount of water.  (i.e. make maximally concentrated solution.  If using flour, sprinkle same amount of flour over the simmering mixture.)  Add starch-water mixture to pan.
  13. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
  14. Serve.

 

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