One pot smoky eggplant chilli

Chilli is one of those dishes that’s so, so versatile. It’s often made with meat or beans, but this is a little different: a smoky version with mushrooms, eggplant and capsicum.

One pot smoky eggplant chilli. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants
• 30 ml olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 red capsicum, finely diced
• 1 yellow capsicum, finely diced
• 100 g Swiss brown mushrooms, finely diced
• 2 long red chillies, finely diced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cracked pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tin crushed tomatoes
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• Steamed rice or flatbreads, to serve
• Plant-based sour cream, to serve

Guacamole

• 2 Hass avocados
• 2 limes
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• Fresh coriander
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place the eggplants on the hob to blacken, turning regularly, then place in a bowl and cover to sweat.
2. In wok or deep pot with oil on high heat, fry off to brown the onion, garlic and capsicum until starting to break down. Add the oregano and spices and cook for 30 seconds, then add mushrooms and chilli.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour tinned tomatoes into the pot with the stock, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until thick.
4. Take the eggplant from the bowl and peel off the skin. Tear strips of eggplant and put them in the pot along with the liquid that has gathered in the bowl where the eggplant were resting. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
5. In the meantime, make the guac by mashing the avocado flesh with lime juice, finely diced red onion and a big pinch of coarse salt, then fold through a handful of coriander leaves.
6. Serve chilli and guac with sour cream and rice or flatbreads. Garnish with coriander.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.