Ankitha Gadag ‘s home-made spicy chili from scratch!

I don’t know about you guys but I love a week-night meal that keeps on giving. Giving heartiness, nourishment, warmth, fulfillment… what I call healthy soul-food. A delectable meal that gets prepared in a batch-style quantity, yet you don’t get bored of it two meals later. That is precisely what this savory spicy chili is.

I used ground beef (85% lean) for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever protein floats your  boat. If you are health conscious and looking for a protein dense meal, use bison. If you want a more melt-in-your-mouth chili, use a less lean version of beef/pork/turkey.  If you’re trying to keep it vegetarian, try using Tofu crumbles, Tempeh crumbles, Seitan, or even just red beans. Make the recipe YOURS!!! 🙂

OK, let’s get started…

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You will need:

• 2 carrots (chopped)
• 2 celery sticks (chopped)
• 1/2 onion
• 1-3 green chillies (1 = mild; 3 = spicy)
• 1 cup veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms & bell peppers)
• 1 lb protein of your choice (ground beef, turkey, red beans, tempeh, tofu, other)
• 2 cloves garlic
• bay leaf
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 3-4 cloves
• salt & pepper
• *optional: 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• *optional: 1 can garbanzo beans

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To prepare:

1. Start by chopping all your veggies in bite size pieces
2. Saute the onion and garlic in about 1 tbsp of oil of your choice. Pro-tip: Add salt here, it makes the onion lose it’s water content to cook it faster.
3. Add in the rest of your veggies
4. Add in your seasonings. Cover and let it cook for about 10 mins.
5. Now add in your protein
6. Add in some water or broth and let it simmah simmah.
7. Enjoy in about a half hr to an hr!

Let me know how you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for reading! P.S- this tastes great with some crumbled tortilla chips or avocado and toast!

Ankitha Gadag