Chilli con carne meatballs
With sweet peppers & black beans
40 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 2
About the recipe
Meatballs are fantastic! Making your own is not only easy, but it’s a great way of controlling what you put in them, too. I’ve used paprika and chilli powder in this recipe, for a lovely chilli con carne kick, but you could add all sorts of other flavours once you’ve mastered this recipe – dried or fresh herbs, different spices, citrus zest, the list goes on. I’ve served this with a charred chilli per person – depending how spicy you like your food, feel free to chop and stir in just a little, or the whole thing if you think you can handle it!
Ingredients
160g brown basmati rice
2 spring onions
1 red pepper
3 sprigs of fresh coriander
200g lean minced beef
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon chilli powder
olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
1 x 400g tins of black beans
2 fresh green chillies
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
1 lime
Method
- Cook the rice in a pan of boiling salted water over a medium heat for 25 minutes, or until tender, then drain well. Tip back into the pan, season with black pepper, cover with a lid and keep to one side.
- Meanwhile, trim and finely slice the spring onions, then halve, deseed and roughly chop the pepper. Pick the coriander, finely chopping the leaves and stalks.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wide saucepan over a medium heat, add the sliced spring onion, pepper and coriander stalks and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, place the beef into a mixing bowl, add the paprika, chilli powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper and mix together well. Using wet hands, roll the mixture into 6 little balls.
- Add the tomatoes to the saucepan along with ½ a tin’s worth of water, breaking the tomatoes up with a spoon as you go.
- Bring to the boil then drain and add the black beans.
- Preheat the grill to high. Prick the chillies and place on a baking tray under the hot grill for 10 minutes, or until blackened, turning often.
- Meanwhile, heat ½ a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the meatballs and cumin seeds, then fry for 4 minutes, or until browned all over, stirring often.
- Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and the meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Fold the chopped coriander leaves through the rice, then divide between your plates. Top each with the meatballs and beans, 1 blackened chilli, 1 tablespoon of yoghurt, and 1 wedge of lime for squeezing over.
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