Black Bean Chili

Ever since I tried Black Bean Chili several years ago, this has been a regular one on the menu.  Tastes delicious when served in a bread bowl.  This is a simple yet, very nutritious recipe.

This is recipe 29 of 30 :)

Recipe:

Black beans - 3 cups

Bell pepper (green and red) - 2-3

Garlic - 6 cloves

Onion - 1 large

Tomatoes - 4 medium

Chili seasoning - 1 packet

Lemon juice - 2-3 tablespoons

Oil - 1 1/2 tablespoon 

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Parsley (for garnishing) - few sprigs

Parmesan cheese (for garnishing) - 1 tablespoon

Green chillies (for garnishing) - 1 tablespoon

• Soak black beans, overnight.  Add salt and boil it in a pressure cooker, the next day. Drain. Retain excess water for later use.
• Heat oil.  Add chopped garlic, onion.  Saute it for a few minutes.  Add chopped tomatoes, bell pepper.  Saute for about 5-7 minutes. This time, I actually roasted the garlic, onion, bell peppers etc in the oven before adding it to the gravy.  And the taste and aroma of the roasted veggies was awesome. 
• Add half the black beans.  Simmer it for a couple of minutes.
• Puree the gravy in a blender. Return it to heat, adding the remaining black beans.
• Add chili seasoning, salt, pepper, lemon juice.  Add desired amount of water that was retained from draining the black beans. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer for 10-12 minutes.
• Serve hot.  Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, finely chopped green chilies, and parsley.