I am lucky to have travelled to five continents and tried incredible and different flavours. In Latin America and the USA, I enjoyed a lot of black beans. They were everywhere in distinct and delicious dishes. So, I will continue my culinary journey for the April edition with a chilli bean stew.
It is a controversial debate about who started with the chilli stew: the Mexicans, the Texans, or the native Americans. Chilli con carne evolved into a well-known dish. In the 60s and 70s, at the beginning of the vegan movement, they invented chilli sin carne, which inspired me to make this recipe: chilli beans stew. I add sweet potatoes to the stew, making the recipe richer and healthier. I serve it with tortilla chips; it is fun, and everybody loves them. It is a nutritious, wholesome meal for all family and friends and an easy party dish.
I chose Malbec, a nice red wine, to accompany this delicious dish from the international wine selection of Lita’s Concept Store.
Ingredients
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 big sweet potato
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 pureed tomato, canned
- 1 small can of corn
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 fresh chilli
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp veggie broth powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- Salt and pepper
Preparation and cooking
First, chop the onion, chilli and garlic and cut the sweet potato into cubes. Remove the stalk from the bell pepper and chop it into small cubes. Then, open the cans of beans and wash them.
Heat the oil in the pan on the stove, then add the onion, frequently stirring until the onion is slightly translucent. Add the garlic and the chilli and stir fry for two minutes. Next, add the fresh tomatoes and fry for five minutes, before adding the pureed tomatoes, the sweet potatoes and the rest of the spices.
When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the bell peppers and let them cook for five more minutes, then add the beans and the corn. Season with salt and pepper, stir a couple of times and turn off the heat
Top tips
If you use dry black beans, soak them in water for at least 24 hours, then cook them for one hour so you can digest them better. For this recipe, you can use three cans of the beans if you are a bean lover!
Another tip is to use cumin powder, which I use in every dish that contains beans, to avoid digestive issues. I always buy fresh chillies at Intermarché or the Bio market in Lagos.
Benefits
The nutritional profile of black beans is magnificent; they are naturally gluten-free and vegan and are high in protein and fibre. They are a great source of iron, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which promotes gut health for the entire family.
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