Proper chilli

• olive or rapeseed oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red or green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon good chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, bashed
• 1 tablespoon chipotle paste
• 3 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 300g Puy lentils
• 100g bulgur wheat
• 100g quinoa (I use the red kind here, but either will do)
• 1 x 400g tin of small beans (haricot, black or black-eyed)
• 1 to 2 litres vegetable stock
• 1 heaped tablespoon good cocoa powder
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 green or red chillies, finely chopped
• a small bunch of fresh thyme
• salted natural yoghurt
• warmed corn tortillas

Instructions

1. 1

   First get out your biggest pot and place it on a medium heat.

2. 2

   Add a splash of olive or rapeseed oil and cook the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet.

3. 3

   Now add the chilli powder and cumin seeds and stir around in the pan for a minute or two.

4. 4

   Then add all the other chilli ingredients, stirring and mixing as you go - add 1 litre of the stock to start with, and keep the rest on hand to add as needed if the chilli starts to look a bit dry.

5. 5

   Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to low and leave to simmer and blip away for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and the chilli is deep and flavoursome.

6. 6

   Make a thyme oil by mixing the olive oil, chopped chillies and thyme with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

7. 7

   Taste your chilli and add a little more salt and pepper if you like.

8. 8

   Serve in bowls, topped with a little yoghurt, a drizzle of thyme oil and some warmed corn tortillas for scooping.