Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.
Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil
1 medium red onion finely chopped
6 medium celery stalks finely chopped
10 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
4 teaspoons ground chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 chipotles (rehydrated in hot water), finely chopped
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes medium dice (about 3 cups)
4 cups cooked black beans [or about 3 (15) ounce cans, rinsed]
Green onions chopped (optional) for garnish
Crumbled feta or Cotija cheese (optional) for garnish
Tortilla Chips (optional) for garnish
Instructions:
Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and celery, season with salt, and cook until softened and onions is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chile powder, cumin, and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, water, the sweet potatoes, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes.
TIP Be sure to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan (using a wooden spoon or spatula) in order to get the most flavor in the chili.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the beans, and simmer, partially covered, until the liquid is slightly thickened, the potatoes are cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.
TIP Adjust the heat as needed to keep the liquid at a simmer. If the heat it too high, the potatoes and beans will get mushy.
Taste, and add more salt and/or a squeeze of lime juice, as desired. Garnish with scallions, cheese, and jalapeños, as desired, and serve with tortilla chips.
Adapted from aidamollenkamp.com