Autumn. Perfect weather for carving pumpkins, watching football and eating chili. The Ranting Chef is excited to host the Diced! Chili Cook-off. We have a number of competitors that have submitted a chili recipe and post for consideration. For three out of five weeks I will post four entries each week. At the end of each week a poll will be opened to vote on your favorite from the week. The poll will be open from Friday to the following Wednesday. The top 3 vote getters in each week will be pitted against each other at the end to determine the winner. Check out today’s post from Devyani from Deenarratives…
Uli’s Chili – The Story
Chili – have made many different versions of chili over the years but the one that came to my mind when I thought of a recipe for the “Diced! Chili Cook- off” was the one made by my friend Uli some years ago when we lived in Dubai. She had cooked Chili for her farewell party that she had hosted at their villa on a warm April evening. There was something special about that evening and that warm ginormous pot of chili that has left an indelible imprint on my mind. It was the sad and yet cheerful atmosphere of the evening- the fun memories of the last 6 months that we had created together as families. It was the whole global nature of the evening with friends from all over the world that had come together to bid adieu to Uli and her family. They were relocating to Germany. She had decided to cook a pot of Chili. Yes! It was something she loved since she was a child when she was living in Mexico with her parents.
I decided today that I will give her a call and ask her about the ingredients and her Chili recipe, and whether she could send it over to me because that is what I wanted to cook for this challenge. I called her just now all excited,”Uli!!! Hi there!!I really need this recipe of the Chili you had made that evening in Dubai. Can you please email it to me?!!”
There was a long pause at the other end and then I heard her clearing her throat. ”Ahem…..!! Well, I had not entirely made it from scratch…some sachets were involved……” She said as her voice trailed off. It was one of those ‘oops’ moments! By the end of the conversation both us were in giggling fits and reminiscing those moments when in her enthusiasm to produce a delicious pot of Chili that evening, she had inadvertently chopped off her finger – don’t worry it was more like cut her finger. No wonder it was so finger licking delicious!!!!! Just kidding! Here is the recipe inspired by my dear friend and which therefore, I shall call Uli’s Chili.
Uli’s Chili
Ingredients:
800g minced beef
5 tbsp Olive oil
2 Spanish onions (ca. 250g) – chopped
2 red bell peppers – cut into 1 inch cubes
1 green bell peppers – cut into 1 inch cubes
4 garlic cloves – cut into thin slices
2 red peppers – cut into fine rings
2 green chili pepper – cut into fine rings
3tbsp tomato puree
1 can peeled bottle tomatoes (400g)
200 ml vegetable stock
3 tsp Gourmet paprika powder
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
1tsp coriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
1 can sweet corn (300g)
1 can kidney beans (300g)
25 g dark chocolate (70% cacao) – crumbled
1/2 bunch chopped fresh coriander
250 g sour cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
Serve the Chili with steamed long grain rice, tortillas, taco shells, baguette
Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the minced beef with salt and pepper, and sear for 5-10 minutes or till browned. Remove from pan and set aside
- Add the chopped onion, bell peppers, chili peppers, garlic to pan and sauté for 4 minutes
- Add the browned mince back to the pan along with tomato puree, coriander powder, cumin powder, paprika powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and sauté further for 5 minutes
- Now add the tinned tomatoes, vegetable stock and let it cook over medium heat for an hour. Then add the red kidney beans and corn and the fresh chopped coriander and cook for a further 15 minutes. Stir in the crumbled dark chocolate and cook for another 5 minutes
- Serve in a bowl with a generous dollop of sour cream and a few sprigs of fresh coriander.
Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I did.
Devyani Sen
Born in Fiji Islands, parents of Indian origin, have lived in Asia- Pacific, Middle East and the US, moved to Netherlands for the first time in 1997 and adopted it as our own. Was the “ trailing daughter “ and then “ trailing spouse “. Passionate about my family, friends, travel, photography and recently decided to become a writer. Started my own blog in July, 2014 www.deenarratives.wordpress.com What is the blog about? It is just a piece of me, my life and thoughts in the form of poems, narratives, food stories and travelogues
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
Great photo!
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Thank you!
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devyani’s Uli’s Chili is mouth watering too good
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Thank you…I am glad you liked it!
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Great mouth watering recipe, expertly written a sure winner!
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Thank you 😀
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Once again , a teaser ,,, you make people feel hungry going through the build up and recipe ….. And then leave them wanting for a bite !!!! Not fair 😝
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Haha C!! I am happy you enjoyed it virtually 🙂 for now…
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I like the name of the recipy! It also looks delicious.
I love it!
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Thanks Debi!
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Wonderful. You have entered the arena with delicious dishes. I hope people will like it. Babu
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Thank you Babu
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Just tried this the other day, great recipe!
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Thanks Rolla!! I am happy that you enjoyed it
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Great creation!- you have out done yourself, Devyani!
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Thank you soooo much Anjali!! x
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Lovely !!! Well presented …enjoyed reading it !!
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Thanks Mandy!
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Nice article… interesting recipe… and delicious looking pics !!! Hope to hv it in person some day 🙂
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Thank you Shantanu!! Hope to make it for you some day
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Awesome recipie Devani… keep more coming!
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Thank you Rama!
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Great story and recipe, will try soon. Keep them coming
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Thank you!!!
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