Turkey chilli

This protein-packed turkey chilli is great to make and freeze, and the great thing about it is that the hob does all the work. It only takes 10 minutes prep and then you have a meal that is ready to rock.

Credit: Donal's Meals in Minutes

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  2:30 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

While my wife Sofie was pregnant, this was one of her ultimate cravings! We batch-cooked it and froze portions for when our baby boy arrived and it saved plenty of dinners that could have gone awry due to lack of sleep. Chipotle paste is a thick, smoky and spicy paste that adds great depth to the dish – in its absence a tablespoon of smoked paprika will suffice.

Feel free to use any minced meat you like here.

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 red capsicum (pepper), deseeded and finely chopped
• 750 g turkey mince (2% fat)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
• 1½ tbsp chipotle paste
• 2 400 g tins kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Fresh coriander leaves, sour cream and steamed rice or tortilla chips, or toasted pita bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a shallow casserole over a medium–high heat and fry the onion, carrot, celery and capsicum for 10 minutes until softened. Add the turkey mince, increase the heat and brown all over, stirring to break up the mince.
2. Add the spices and cook for a minute before adding the chopped tomatoes and chipotle paste. Season well and simmer, uncovered, for 1½-2 hours, adding a splash of water every so often to stop it drying out.
3. Once the turkey is lovely and tender and the sauce is thick and rich, add the beans with another splash of water and cook for a further 10–15 minutes.
4. Serve with coriander leaves, sour cream and steamed rice or tortilla chips.

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.

While my wife Sofie was pregnant, this was one of her ultimate cravings! We batch-cooked it and froze portions for when our baby boy arrived and it saved plenty of dinners that could have gone awry due to lack of sleep. Chipotle paste is a thick, smoky and spicy paste that adds great depth to the dish – in its absence a tablespoon of smoked paprika will suffice.

Feel free to use any minced meat you like here.