Chilli con carne

For a variation, serve the chilli in tacos instead of tortillas, or use minced pork instead of beef.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 onions
• 2 cloves garlic (see Notes)
• 1 large carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 red capsicum
• 4 fresh chorizo sausages
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 500g minced beef
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground chilli
• 2 tbs sweet paprika
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 x 400g cans diced Italian tomatoes
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• 400g can chickpeas
• 400g borlotti beans
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 2 avocados
• 1 lime
• 1 bunch coriander
• Sour cream and tortillas, to serve

Method

1. Peel onions, garlic and carrot. Cut into quarters with celery. Seed and quarter capsicum. Using a food processor, pulse vegetables and garlic in short bursts until coarsely chopped. Place in a bowl.
2. Squeeze meat from chorizo casings and pull apart into 2cm pieces. Heat oil in a large casserole over medium–high heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until browned. Add beef, spices, sugar and 2 tsp salt, and cook for 5 minutes, breaking up beef with the back of a spoon, or until browned.
3. Add vegetable mixture to casserole and stir for 5 minutes or until softened. Add tomatoes and vinegar. Rinse and drain chickpeas and beans, then add to casserole with tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until thickened.
4. Meanwhile, to make guacamole, scoop avocado flesh into a bowl. Squeeze over lime juice. Pick a handful of coriander leaves and add to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mash together with a fork.
5. Pick more coriander leaves and scatter over chilli con carne and serve with guacamole, sour cream and tortillas.

Notes

To peel garlic quickly, place on a chopping board, place the flat side of a knife over the top and hold down with one hand. Using the heel of your free hand, carefully hit the knife; the force will bruise the garlic, splitting the skin and making it easy to peel.