Hidden Veg Turkey Chilli

Ingredients

• 500 g turkey mince
• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 200 ml hot chicken stock
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 1 courgette, finely diced
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1½ tsp mild chilli powder (optional; skip for younger kids)
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 300 g basmati rice
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 80 g mature Cheddar, grated
• 100 g dried red lentils, rinsed
• 1 x 400 g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• 150 ml soured cream
• 50 g pickled jalapeños
• 12 small tortillas

Method

1. Pat the turkey mince dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Warm a large heavy casserole over medium-high heat with a glug of oil until it shimmers.
2. Brown the mince in two batches, leaving it alone long enough to catch at the edges. Lift each batch out as it's done.
3. Drop the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, pepper and courgette with a good pinch of salt, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until everything softens and the veg almost melts. The salt pulls moisture out and lifts the fond off the bottom.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika and tomato puree, and fry them in the oil for another minute until the pan smells toasty and the puree darkens at the edges.
5. Return the turkey to the pan. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, red lentils and hot chicken stock. Simmer gently, lid ajar, for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick, glossy and deeply red. Check the turkey reaches 75°C for 30 seconds.
6. Stir in the kidney beans and black beans and simmer for another 5 minutes until they're hot through but still holding their shape.
7. While the chilli finishes, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then cook in well-salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and fluff with a fork.
8. Spoon the rice into shallow bowls and ladle the chilli over. Scatter the grated Cheddar so it melts into the heat, add a cool spoon of soured cream and a few pickled jalapeños on top, and bring the tortilla chips to the table for piling on.