Smoky Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli

Ingredients

• 2 x 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed
• 800g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp chipotle paste
• Warm tortillas, to serve
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 350ml hot vegetable stock
• Soured cream, to serve
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 15g coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large casserole over medium heat and cook the sweet potatoes for 8 minutes, stirring often, until they start to colour at the edges. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic, cumin, crushed coriander seeds and smoked paprika and cook for a minute until fragrant, then add the chipotle paste and cook for another minute.
3. Pour in the dark beer and let it bubble hard for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol, scraping up anything stuck to the base. Add the chopped tomatoes, the red lentils, the jalapeños and the sugar, then return the sweet potatoes to the pan along with 300ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sweet potato is tender and the sauce has thickened around it.
5. Stir in the black beans and the chopped dark chocolate, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until the chilli is thick, glossy and a deep mahogany.
6. Taste and season well with salt and black pepper, then squeeze in the lime juice to balance the smoke and sweetness. It should hold its shape on a spoon.
7. Serve straight away, or cool and portion for the freezer. Reheat gently with a splash of water; mash a few sweet potato cubes against the side of the pan if you want it even thicker.