Texas-Style Chili
Texas-style chili is a bean-free stew that’s usually made with chunks of slow-cooked beef. Here, eggplant stands in for meat in the traditional thick, spicy sauce. Serve with chopped green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, and corn chips.
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Texas-style chili is a bean-free stew that’s usually made with chunks of slow-cooked beef. Here, eggplant stands in for meat in the traditional thick, spicy sauce. Serve with chopped green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, and corn chips.
Ingredients
- 3 mulato or pasilla dried chiles
- 2 costeno dried chiles
- 1 cascabel dried chile
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 15-oz. can whole tomatoes
- 1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
- 2 tsp. light brown sugar or 1 tsp. molasses, optional
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 4 medium Japanese eggplant, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 Tbs. masa harina
Preparation
1. Place dried chiles in medium bowl, and cover with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes, or until soft, pushing chiles under water occasionally. Let liquid cool until chiles are easy to handle.
2. Remove tough stems and seeds from rehydrated chiles, using soaking liquid to rinse away seeds. Coarsely chop chiles, and strain liquid to remove seeds. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and sear 1 to 2 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add chiles with soaking liquid, tomatoes with juice, chili powder, brown sugar (if using), cumin, oregano, and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat, and blend chiles and vegetables with immersion blender until smooth. Stir in eggplant chunks, then cover pot, and simmer 30 minutes over medium heat, or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in masa harina, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 148
- Carbohydrate Content 21 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 6 g
- Fiber Content 7 g
- Protein Content 4 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0.5 g
- Sodium Content 242 mg
- Sugar Content 10 g