Family Pot Red Lentil Chili 🇲🇽❤️🌶️

Being #veganuary and wanting to get some healthy heat into my diet I came across this recipe and adapted it for my pallet 🔥🌶️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Really enjoyed the results and I'm thinking of making this a permanent addition to my regular go to recipes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) grape seed or coconut oil
• 1 white or yellow onion, diced (110 g)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper, divided (plus more to taste)
• 2 jalapeño, diced with seeds
• 2 habanero, diced with seeds **optional
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbsp hot chili powder, divided
• 2 Tbsp ground cumin, divided
• 2 TSP smoked paprika
• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes (if unsalted, add more sea salt)
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 420 ml water, plus more as needed
• 148g dry red lentils, thoroughly rinsed in cold water + drained
• 1 can kidney beans, slightly drained
• 1 can black beans, slightly drained
• 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or maple syrup)
• optional: 1 can sweet corn, drained
• Chilli heatwave/lightly salted Doritos chips
• Fresh chopped coriander
• Avocado

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, and red pepper. Season with a healthy pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add jalapeño and garlic to a mortar and pestle and crush into a rough paste (alternatively, blend in a small food processor, or finely mince). Add to the pot with onion and red pepper, and season with another pinch salt and pepper.
• Add 2 TBSP chili powder, 1 TBSP cumin, 2 TSP paprika, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a low boil over medium high heat.
• Once boiling, add lentils and reduce heat to medium-low or low, so it's at a gentle simmer. You want to see bubbles, but you don't want it boiling. Cook for 15 minutes, or until lentils are mostly tender. As it's cooking you may need to add more water if the mixture is looking too dry and the lentils aren't submerged (I didn't find that necessary).
• Next add kidney beans, black beans, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, and remaining 1 Tbsp cumin, and 1 Tbsp chili powder, and stir to combine.
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat slightly to low (or medium-low), add corn (optional), cover, and gently simmer for 20 minutes to meld the flavors together. Stir occasionally.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more chili powder or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, or a little coconut sugar to balance the heat and draw out the other flavors.
• Serve as is, or garnished with chili cheese fritos, fresh jalapeño, cilantro, red onion, and/or avocado (optional).

Original recipe from minimalistbaker.com