Black Bean Chilli Con Carne

Here’s what you’ll need

• 450g minced beef
• 225g dried black beans
• 25g fresh coriander stalks (reserving the leaves for the salsa)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped small
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 rounded tbsp plain flour
• 400g tin of quality chopped tomatoes
• 1 large red pepper chopped and deseeded
• Juice of ½ lime
• Salt

For the avocado salsa

• 2 large firm tomatoes
• 1 ripe avocado
• ½ small red onion, finely chopped
• Half of the coriander leaves you set aside
• Juice of ½ lime
• Tabasco sauce, a few drops
• Salt and black pepper

To serve

• The second half of the coriander leaves you set aside
• Juice of ½ lime
• Brown basmati rice
• Creme fraiche

Step-by-step method

1. Begin by placing the beans in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and boil for 10 minutes.
2. Then turn the heat off and allow them to soak for 3 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 150C.
4. Strip the leaves off the coriander stalks into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge.
5. Then finely chop the stalks.
6. In a casserole dish, heat half the oil and cook/sauté the onions, garlic, cumin, Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika, coriander stalks, red peppers and chillies gently, for about 5 minutes.
7. Transfer to a plate and stir in the remaining oil.
8. Turn the heat up high on the casserole dish and brown the beef in small batches.
9. Once all the meat is browned, return everything to the casserole dish, then sprinkle the flour in, stirring to soak up the juices.
10. Add the drained beans, tomatoes and salt. Stir well and bring it up to a simmering point, put the lid on and transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 2 hours.

For the salsa

1. Skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them. Cut each tomato in half, deseed, and finely chop.
2. Dice the onion and avocado. Combine the salsa ingredients together in a bowl, with the juice of half a lime, chop and add half the reserved coriander leaves, and a few drops of Tabasco to taste.

To serve

1. Before serving the chilli stir in the remaining coriander leaves and the juice of half a lime.
2. Serve with plain brown basmati rice and creme fraiche.