Burnt aubergine veggie chilli

Name: Burnt aubergine veggie chilli
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1 aubergine; 1 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil; 1 1 red onion diced; 1 2 carrots finely diced; 70 g puy lentils or green lentils; 30 g red lentils rinsed; 400 g can kidney beans; 3 tbsp dark soy sauce; 400 g can chopped tomatoes; 20 g dark chocolate finely chopped; ¼ tsp chilli powder; 2 tsp dried oregano; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika; 1 tsp coriander; 1 tsp cinnamon; 800 ml vegetable stock; 1 ½ lime juiced; 1 brown rice; 1 tortilla chips mashed avocado

Prep: 25 minsCook: 2 hrs

Prep

25 mins

Cook

2 hrs

Servings

Difficulty

Hard

Dairy-FreeVegetarianVeganNut-FreeEgg-Free

(0)

This is my go to recipe whenever I want to make something deeply satisfying and packed with flavor. I char the aubergine until it's almost blackened, which gives the whole chilli a rich, smoky depth that you won't find in milder versions. The beauty of this dish is that it's incredibly forgiving and actually gets better the next day, making it perfect for batch cooking. Plus, those lentils are nutritional powerhouses, loaded with protein and fiber to keep you full for hours. Everything goes into one pot, so cleanup is minimal, and you've got a warming, complex meal that feeds a crowd without much fuss.

Ella x

Ingredients

Servings:

11 aubergine
1 tbspolive oil or rapeseed oil
11 red onion diced
12 carrots finely diced
70 gpuy lentils or green lentils(rinsed)
30 gred lentils rinsed
400 gcan kidney beans
3 tbspdark soy sauce
400 gcan chopped tomatoes
20 gdark chocolate finely chopped
¼ tspchilli powder
2 tspdried oregano
2 tspground cumin
2 tspsweet smoked paprika
1 tspcoriander
1 tspcinnamon
800 mlvegetable stock
1½ lime juiced
1brown rice
1tortilla chips mashed avocado(yogurt or soured cream, grated cheddar, roughly chopped coriander (optional)

Detail level

Instructions

1
If you have a gas hob, put the aubergine directly onto a lit ring to char completely, turning occasionally with kitchen tongs, until burnt all over. Alternatively, use a barbecue or heat the grill to its highest setting and cook, turning occasionally, until completely blackened (the grill won’t give you the same smoky flavour). Set aside to cool on a plate, then peel off the charred skin and remove the stem. Roughly chop the flesh and set aside.
2
In a large pan, heat the oil, add the onion and carrots with a pinch of salt, and fry over a low-medium heat for 15-20 mins until the carrots have softened.
3
Add the aubergine, both types of lentils, the kidney beans with the liquid from the can, soy sauce, tomatoes, chocolate, chilli powder, oregano and the spices. Stir to combine, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to very low. Cover with a lid and cook for 1½ hrs, checking and stirring every 15-20 mins to prevent it from burning.
4
Remove the lid and let the mixture simmer over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 mins until you get a thick sauce. Stir in the lime juice and taste for seasoning – add more salt if needed. Serve hot over rice with whichever accompaniments you want!

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