CHILI BEANS

1/2 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked in cold water overnight and drained

1/2 cup dried green adzuki beans, soaked in cold water for a few hours and drained

1/3 cup Puy lentils

5 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 red bell peppers, finely chopped

2 hot red chilies, deseeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp chili powder (medium or hot, to taste)

11oz (300g) ripe tomatoes, peeled (page 119), deseeded, and chopped, or 14oz (400g) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups tomato juice leaves of 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

Blanch, drain, and rinse the kidney beans, then return them to the rinsed-out pan and cover generously with fresh cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat again, and boil rapidly without the lid for 10 minutes. Half cover the pan, turn down the heat, and simmer the beans for 30â€“45 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, blanch the adzuki beans and lentils as you did for the kidney beans, using a separate pan for each. Drain and rinse, then bring both to a boil in separate pans of water. Half cover the pans and simmer until tender, allowing 12â€“15 minutes for the adzuki beans, 20â€“25 minutes for the lentils. Drain the kidney and adzuki beans and the lentils, and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, red peppers, chilies, and garlic. Sprinkle in the chili powder and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes followed by the beans, lentils, and tomato juice, and stir well to mix. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
Stir some of the cilantro into the beans and add seasoning to taste. Serve with the remaining cilantro sprinkled on top.

SERV ES 4 â€“ 6