Chilli Con Carne Con Chocolate or Nada Carne: Vegetarian Version

Chocolate has been used for centuries to add depth to a dish. The chocolate in this dish tempers the heat and adds a richness. Serve with steamed rice and a side dish of chopped de-seeded chillis and soy sauce and yoghurt and cucumber. From Mexico.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2lbs (as good a quality as you can afford) mince beef or 1 carton Quorn Mince
• Olive oil, corn oil or vegetable  oil for frying
• 1 large clove garlic (crushed and chopped)
• 1 large / med onion (sliced finely)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
• 2 beef stock cubes (or vegatable substitute)
• 1 small tin concentrated tomato puree
• 1 tin plum tomatoes (the normal 415g one!)
• 1 tin kidney beens (415g) drained
• 1 or 2 depending on your heat like finger chillis (de-seed and chop)
• 2-4 squares of good milk or plain chocolate (dependant on your chocolate dependence)

Method:

1. add cumin, chilli powder stock cubes and tomatoe puree to the beef mince or Quorn - mix well and leave to stand for 10 minutes
2. Gently fry onions, garlic and chillis in a large frying pan (deeper the better)
3. Add meat / Quorn mixture to the pan  
4. fry until the meat is cooked (say 10 minutes)
5. Add tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes
6. Add kidney beans
7. Simmer for a further 20 minutes and then stir in chocolate until melted ensuring it doesn't burn
8. Serve