Last week, during the heavy rainy days we made some chilli, the old fashion way, with lots of birds-eye chilli’s, growing in our high-bed . It came out „very hot“, even for my taste. The solution was to extend it a bit achieving a better balance between the ingredients. So I added pumpkin mash and honey.

See some of our chilli-plants above.  That recipe solution revealed a great result, spicy rich chilli. Why not cooking this great recipe (with pumpkin and honey) in the first place and why giving to all of you the recipe, I thought ??  Here it is.

   The hot hot chilli before adaption.

Ingredients.

1 tablespoon  olive oil
3 mild Spanish sausages (about 2/3 pound/350 g)
1 pound (500 g) lean ground beef,
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped
2 large minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons  ground cumin
1 teaspoon  dried oregano
½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon  hot chili powder (chipotle or birdseye)
½ teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (16 ounces / 500 mL) beef stock
1 cup (8 ounces /250 mL) pure pumpkin mash (puree)
1 can (14 ounces /400 ml) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14 ounces /400 ml) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons  (3 full spoons if you like it sweet) good quality honey
1 ½ teaspoons salt
some cheese, coriander, creme fresh, spring onion or other garnish’s

  The chilli after transformation, with coriander.

How to do.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large, heavy pot.
Slit sausage casings and remove the filling, discard the casings.
Add sausage meat and ground beef to the pot.
Cook the meats until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes, using a wooden fork to break up the ground meats into smaller pieces.
Stir in onion and fennel, cook for 2 more minutes.
Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder and black pepper; stir to combine.
Add beef stock, pumpkin mash, tomatoes, kidney beans and honey.
Stir well as you bring the chilli up to a low boil.
Simmer for 1 hour over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.

  Mouthwatering rich pumpkin chilli, with baguette.

Tips.

Decorate with some slices of spring onion or some chopped coriander and grated cheese.
Serve hot with some baguette and a glass of strong red wine or your favorite beer .

  A variation, with yogurt, cheese and sunflower seeds.

It’s even better on the next day, warmed up, when the flavors have had a chance to combine, so keep that in mind when you plan your menu.
A variation could be to replace the fennel, if one don’t like it, with celery.

See also my post „Texas Chilli“ in Recipes. Enjoy this delicious heart warming dish.