Chilli is such a staple meal in our house that I barely think of it as “Mexican” food any more but just a midweek go-to dinner. However, over the years of experimenting I’ve been frustrated by not finding a satisfactory recipe for it. It didn’t matter what I did, the mince would come out lumpy and dry, and would somehow not be incorporated with the surrounding sauce.
Finally Nigella came to the rescue! In her excellent book Nigella Express you will find this little gem of a recipe. I don’t quite know why but it just works and, unlike other chilli recipes, doesn’t require hours of cooking.
Of course I can never stop myself tweaking recipes and what I present to you here not only has different ingredients but an entirely different method as I cook the chilli under pressure in my Instant Pot. In particular I’ve spiced it up with the addition of fresh chilli as well as smoked paprika. And I’ve played with the umami notes by substituting mushroom ketchup (Geo Watkins) for Worcestershire sauce, but both are good or even Marmite will create a similar effect.
Like with any stew-type dish, the chilli will deepen in flavour if cooked a few days in advance of eating. I find even a stint in the freezer improves the flavour of stews and curries.
So with Halloween on the horizon and Bonfire Night hot on its heals tuck into this warming recipe and smiles all round!
- 110 g chorizo packet of sliced, cut into strips
- 1 red chilli chopped, including seeds
- 500 g beef mince
- 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tsp mushroom ketchup
- 1 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 400g can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- Switch Instant Pot to "Sauté normal." Sauté the chorizo until it starts to relinquish its oil.
- Add the chilli and the beef to the pan and cook until the mince has browned.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- Cancel Sauté mode. Close lid, with vent set to "sealing". Press bean/chilli button which will pressure cook the chilli for 30 minutes.
- When chilli has finished cooking leave the Instant Pot to release the pressure naturally.
Serve with rice or in a jacket potato with a large dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese and chopped fresh coriander.
