Vegetarian Chili With Corn Bread Topping
- Total Time
- 1 hour 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 2medium onions, finely chopped
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- 3cups red bell peppers (about 2 large peppers), finely diced
- 2teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
- 1teaspoon ground coriander
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 3cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1½cups red lentils
- 3cups canned chopped tomatoes
- 3½cups drained canned kidney beans
- ¼cup ketchup
- ¼cup tomato paste
- 1tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1teaspoon salt
- 2cups cornmeal
- 2tablespoons flour
- 3teaspoons baking powder
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1cup butter milk
- 2large eggs
- 1teaspoon honey
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1cup coarsely grated Cheddar cheese
- 2cups sour cream
- 1cup chopped cilantro
For the Chili
For the Corn Bread Topping
For Serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
710 calories; 28 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 91 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1141 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
To prepare chili, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a deep, wide pan with a lid. Add onions, garlic and bell peppers, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin and cardamom pods. Stir in lentils.
- Step 2
Add chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, ketchup, tomato paste, cocoa and 3 cups water. Stir well. Cover, and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and beans are tender, about 45 minutes. Chili can be made ahead to this point and topping added later. (In that case, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days, bringing to room temperature before proceeding.)
- Step 3
For corn bread topping, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, honey and oil. Pour liquid ingredients into dry; stir until combined.
- Step 4
Pour chili into a baking dish 13 by 9 by 3 inches. Spread corn bread topping evenly over chili, and sprinkle cheese on topping. Bake until topping has risen and turned golden brown, about 25 minutes.
- Step 5
Remove from oven, and let chili stand about 5 minutes. To serve, cut into squares, and pass sour cream and cilantro at the table.
Private Notes
Comments
Many thanks to those who left notes before me. I added about 1 1/2 tsp salt, and used 1 Tbsp ground cumin instead of 1 tsp, and 1 Tbsp pepper flakes instead of 2 tsps., but made no other changes, and the spice worked out to my liking. The family loved it. One thing tho. My Pyrex 9 x 13" pan is only 2" high, and it looked as if it might overflow when the cornbread rose, so I switched the chili to a roasting pan, which was a bit wider and deeper. It came out fine.
I don't agree with the bulk of the reviews for this recipe. The final product was excellent and fairly easy, with the cornbread crust being a highlight. And I used a full tsp of cinnamon!
One tip: I would add the lentils, then water, then cook to desired tenderness, then add the tomatoes, et cetera. And then salt (I used a tsp). Otherwise, the acid and salt will leave the lentils crunchy after the recommended cooking time.
Followed some of the suggestions below, including increasing the cumin to 1 Tablespoon, adding some chipotles with adobo, using only 1 cardamom pod in a spice ball,and omitting the cinnamon from the cornbread.
The flavor and texture of the chili itself was reasonably good, but the cornbread sucked much of the liquid out of the chili while it baked. The final product was drier than I would have preferred. Were I to make this again (questionable!), I would serve the cornbread on the side.
I multiplied this recipe by 4, and most of the group that I cooked forgave it a thumbs up (you can't please everyone). I, too, made the cornbread separately and used a different recipe. If you cook it for a crowd like I did you will spend a long time chopping.
I just cooked this for Sunday family dinner. The chili turned out very well, rich, tasty, and relative wet. I followed cornbread recipe to the t, cooked at 425 for 25 minutes. When it came out, the cornbread layer had somehow absorbed almost all of the liquid from the chili, and took up almost half the pan, but somehow it was still dry. Nearly inedible without additional yogurt (sub for sour cream). I have no idea how this could have turned out well for so many. (I am an experienced cook).
Recipe was easy - I used black-beans and red lentils which I soaked and precooked ahead (recipe does not specify if lentils were to be cooked). I set aside 1/2 for later use and used remainder with cornbread topping which easily fed 6 adults.
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