Vegetarian Three Bean Chili with a Cashew Pistachio Sauce

Tempted by yet another recipe from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer, I couldn't resist making this chili from the contemporary curries section on one of the hottest days of the year. This is certainly a recipe I will be revisiting in the future, especially during the colder months, but I will say I very much enjoyed it on a hot and humid day. The nuts provide a wonderful accompaniment to the selection of beans. Mr. Iyer suggests serving this delightful chili with cheese, such as shredded paneer, scallions, sour cream or yogurt or perhaps chopped fresh mango. Packed full of vegetables, legumes and nuts, this is a particularly healthy vegetarian meal, and a most tasty one at that. A big thanks to Mr. Iyer for such a lovely and inspired volume of creative recipes.

This is my contribution to July's edition of My Legume Love Affair, a very popular event started by dear Susan and hosted this month by Siri.

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili with a Cashew Pistachio Sauce

Adapted from 660 Curries

2/3 cup of dried pinto beans
2/3 cup of dried red kidney beans
2/3 cup of dried black beans
1/4 cup of oil
1 medium-large onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 green chilies or jalapenos, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of raw, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup of pistachio nuts
1/3 cup of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley for garnishing

Rinse the beans in a strainer, cover with water and soak overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain, transfer to a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover and cook until the beans tender - roughly 1 - 1/2 hours. Drain and set aside when done.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the nut sauce. In a blender, combine 1/2 cup of water with the nuts. Blend until you get a gritty paste. Set aside. Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the blender jar and pulse to get the remaining nut paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and chilies and cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to brown. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, cayenne, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and turmeric. Lover the heat to medium low, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are softened and begin to thicken up - roughly 10 minutes.

Now add the nut paste to the pan, along with the water from the blender jar. Toss in the cooked beans, stir well to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the ingredients don't stick to the pan. Reduce the heat on the element if necessary or add a bit more water to reach your desired consistency.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or your favorite Indian flatbread.

Other chili recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you would be sure to enjoy:
Smoky Black Bean Chili
Southwest Vegetarian Chili
Cornmeal Crusted Chili

On the top of the reading stack: The National Post

Audio Accompaniment: street construction (blah)