Bean and Pepper Chilli

We've been eating pretty badly recently, as I've been working on loads of job applications (soo time consuming) and, as a result, I have a fridge full of good stuff to use up.

So, in the mood for something spicy I concocted this chilli (chili) recipe last night. It was good, although it could have done with more heat for my tastes. We ate it with baked potatoes and some soured cream that was left from the weekend.

There's plenty left today, so I'd say this recipe serves at least 4 people.

Mrs Roe's Pepper & Bean Chilli

Ingredients

1 tsbp sunflower oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli powder

1 large red pepper (capsicum), chopped

1 large yellow pepper (capsicum), chopped

50g red lentils

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 tsp soft dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 can kidney beans in water (drained and rinsed)

1 can chick peas in water (drained and rinsed)

100g closed cap mushrooms, chopped

3 pieces sun-dried tomato, drained thoroughly and chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan (it needs to be a pan with a lid), then add the onions and fry gently for about 15 minutes. You need to get them really soft and they'll start to turn golden in colour. Keep the heat low to stop them burning.
2. Add the smoked paprika and chilli powder and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
3. Add the red & yellow pepper and the red lentils. Mix everything together so the oniony mixture combines with the lentils, then turn up the heat and add about 125ml hot water. Stir and let the mixture come up to the boil.
4. Next, add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and put the lid on the pan. Simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
5. Serve with baked potatoes, rice or tortillas, topped with a blob of soured cream or a little grated cheese.

• The lentils help to thicken the dish slightly so you don't get a watery consistency. You could use rice, cous cous or other grains instead, but I'm not sure whether the results would be exactly the same... 
• I used kidney beans and chick peas as this was what I had in the cupboard. You could use any combination of beans you like, but they need to be in water, not sauce. Canned sweetcorn would also be a good addition.
• If you don't have smoked paprika, just omit it from the recipe.
• I would definitely add more chilli powder next time, but adjust the amount to suit your own tastes.
• Feel free to throw in any combination of veg. Even frozen mixed veg would do at a push.