Main course American, Tex-Mex-inspired
Beef and Pumpkin Chilli with Beans
Meat & fish
Editorially prepared
A thick chilli with beef mince, red kidney beans and pumpkin purée. Cumin and smoked paprika bring savoury depth, while lime juice balances the sweetness of the pumpkin.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
For a larger quantity, use a suitably larger pot and brown the beef in batches so it fries rather than steams in its juices. This will extend the preparation time. Add water cautiously: evaporation depends on the width of the pot, not just the number of servings.
Substitutions
Substitute amounts are adjusted to your selected servings.
- Instead of tinned red kidney beanstinned black beans
Use the same drained weight as the red kidney beans. Black beans are smaller and give the dish a darker appearance; add them at the same stage.
- Instead of ready-made pumpkin puréeroasted butternut squash purée
Replace the ready-made purée with the same weight of smooth purée made from roasted butternut squash flesh, without sugar or spices. It may be sweeter and thicker, so adjust the extra water. Making it from scratch adds to the recipe time.
- Instead of fresh corianderflat-leaf parsley
Chop and add to taste when serving. It adds a fresh, herbal finish without coriander's distinctive flavour.
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Optional ingredients and substitutions
You’ll need
Wide, heavy-based pot, about 4 litres, with a lid · Hob with one burner · Chopping board and knife · Sieve · Scales, measuring jug and measuring spoons · Spatula or wooden spoon · Ladle and four bowls
Method
0/7 stepsPrepare the ingredients
Peel the onion and garlic. Finely dice the onion and chop the garlic. Drain and rinse the beans, then leave them in a sieve. Wash, dry and chop the coriander; set aside for serving. Measure the remaining ingredients and prepare the lime juice. Allow about 12 minutes.
Prepare the ingredients Soften the onion
Heat the oil in a wide pot over a medium heat for about 2 minutes; it should be hot and fluid but not smoking. Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes from adding it, stirring frequently. It should soften, turn translucent and become lightly golden around the edges. If it is still firm, cook a little longer; reduce the heat if it darkens quickly.
07:00Soften the onion Brown the beef
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the beef. Break it up with a spatula, spread it across the base and cook for about 8–12 minutes from adding it, stirring occasionally. The beef should lose its raw colour and some crumbles should develop a browned crust. If liquid collects in the pot, keep cooking uncovered until it evaporates and the meat begins to brown.
10:00Brown the beef Cook the spices
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, concentrated tomato purée, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli and oregano. Cook for about 2 minutes from adding them, stirring constantly. The tomato purée should darken slightly and the spices should smell fragrant. If they start sticking or blackening, add the liquid ingredients straight away.
02:00Cook the spices Combine the chilli
Add the tomatoes with their juice, pumpkin purée, beans and water. Stir thoroughly, scraping up the browned residue from the base. Add a little salt and pepper. Heat over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce bubbles evenly; allow about 5–7 minutes from adding the ingredients. The purée should be fully mixed into the sauce, without pale streaks.
Combine the chilli Simmer until thick
Once the mixture is bubbling, reduce the heat to low and partly cover the pot. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes from this point. Stir across the base roughly every 10 minutes and check that the sauce is not catching. The finished chilli should be thick but easy to ladle; the beef must be fully cooked and the beans soft and hot in the centre. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and simmer for another 5–10 minutes, checking the consistency. If it is too thick, add a little water and bring it back to a gentle simmer.
30:00Simmer until thick Season and serve
Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the lime juice, taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Divide the chilli between bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of soured cream and the prepared coriander. Serve straight away.
Season and serve
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Tips
- Use a thick purée that holds on a spoon. Watery purée will need longer to reduce.
- Once the pumpkin is added, stir right across the base of the pot. The thick sauce catches more easily, so keep it at a gentle simmer.
- If you are unsure how hot your ground chilli is, add half the measured amount at first. Add the reserved remainder gradually during the final seasoning.
- Do not replace the tinned beans with dried beans unless you fully cook them separately first.
Storage
Store only fully cooked chilli, without the soured cream and coriander. Divide into shallow containers, cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Use within 48 hours or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge. Reheat only once, stirring and adding a splash of water, until steaming hot throughout. Add the toppings after reheating.
Timing
Hands-on: 43 min · Cooking: 55 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
