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I really love this chili. Its hearty, its super tasty, easy to make, only uses a single pot, and its cheap. This recipe is originally from my Mother with some additional tweaks to get it to a consistency and spice I really enjoy, so shout out Mom. I like a chili with a thicker consistency, its a personal preference, but also lends itself to eating in many ways, in a tortilla, eat it with some chips, or just eat it straight. However, what ever you do, eat it with rice. Please. The rice complements the chili amazingly, cuts it a bit and makes it last seemingly forever. If you want a thinner chili, cook it covered to keep the moisture in, but adjust the heat correctly as it will then burn easier too.

Ingredients:

• • 2 Large Onions
  • 1 lb ground beef (optional, this is just as good without it)
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 Can of Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz)
  • 1 Can Dark Kidney Beans
  • 1 Can Light Kidney Beans
  • 1 Can Black Beans
  • 1 Can Pinto Beans
  • 2-3 Tomatoes or 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (get the ones with peppers)
  • 1 Green Pepper
  • 1 Red Pepper
  • 3-4 Jalapeño Peppers (optional, these are really good to add pickled as a topping)
  • 1 Can Corn

Spices (for a less spicy chili, see below):

• • 2 Tbsp Chili Pepper OR 3-4 Tbsp Chipotle Sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Garam Masala*
  • 1 Tbsp Black Pepper
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1/4 tsp Cloves (for your own sake, measure this exactly, don’t put more)
    • 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

*Garam Masala comes in all types of blends. I like using the more fragrant versions (usually more green and brown) with Coriander, Cumin, and Cardamom, but there are also blends out there that are spicier (usually more red). If you have the spices already you can make this blend, it works very well.

Toppings:

• • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Sour Cream
  • Soy Sauce (a personal favorite, don’t over do it, but its a nice earthy addition…..but this might just be because of my love for soy sauce)

Directions:

1. 1. Heat some oil in the bottom of a stock pot. Dice Onions and saute until translucent and fragrant.
   2. Add garlic.
   3. If using meat, add ground beef. Brown the meat.
   4. During this time, prep your tomatoes and peppers. Cut tomatoes in 1/2″ segments and peppers in in 1/4″-1/2″ square pieces. Make sure the pepper pieces aren’t to large, they aren’t too enjoyable when they are too large.
   5. Empty all the cans into the pot, don’t strain them, just straight in.
   6. Add tomatoes and peppers.
   7. Combine and add all your seasonings.
   8. Mix completely
   9. Bring first to a boil, then lower to a light simmer. Cook for 3 hours, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Uncovered if you want a thicker chili, covered it you want it thinner. Lower your heat if you cover it, as it will be hotter and burn easier.
   10. Serve over rice, add some cheddar and sour cream and enjoy!

I highly suggest eating this over cilantro lime rice. It’s a perfect combination, extremely tasty. I suggest using Jasmine rice, it’s longer grain, lighter, less sticky, and much nicer to mix in with the chili. I really enjoy a bit of soy sauce on this chili. I really can’t tell if its just my love for soy sauce, but I think it adds a nice complementary flavor.

I like using the whole tomatoes and cutting them into thicker chunks. They incorporate pretty well into the chili, but some chunks will come though. It’s a nice additional texture and flavor in the chili.

If you want a more mild chili, make sure you’re using the more fragrant Garam Masala as opposed to the Garam Masala with chili and other peppers in it (check the back). Refrain from reducing the chili powder. Start reducing the black pepper and Cayenne pepper first, cutting those in half. Then take out the red pepper flakes if you need more. Then move on to reducing chili powder. You can also reduce the chili less by keeping the top on so the spice is not as concentrated.