One recipe I used to make regularly enough was Jamie’s veggie chilli recipe from one of his cookbooks (and his website). It is a chilli recipe that is made with baked sweet potatoes. I really liked the sweetness the baked sweet poatoes brought to the recipe.
Over time I changed the the ingredients around a bit and added a few additional ingredients based on my own preferences. I also find it much quicker to bake the sweet potatoes in the air fryer than in the oven and that’s how the sweet potatoes are cooked in this dish.
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes
- Kidney beans
- Chopped tomatoes
- Peppers
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chilli powder (or fresh chilli)
- Cumin
- Cinnamon
- Smoked paprika
- Oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Cilantro (coriander) leaves
How to Make this Veggie Chilli
Start by peeling the sweet potatoes and cutting them into bite sized cubes. Then put them into a bowl and cover with around one and a half tablespoons of oil and a teaspoon of smoked paprike. Toss the sweet potatoes until evenly coated.
Put the sweet potatoes into an air fryer for about 22 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit). Give them a shake a few times during the cooking process so they don’t burn on one side.
Next you add a tablespoon of oil to a big pot and throw in the chopped onions, finely chopped garlic and de-seeded and chopped peppers. Cook for five minutes then add all the dried spices. Stir in and cook for another minute or so.
Then you can add the chopped tomatoes, drained kidney beans, red wine vinegar and around 1 cup (250ml) of water. You can add a little more water towards the end if you find the consistency of the veggie chilli is too thick.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer for around 15 minutes.
While all this is going on, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
When the sweet potatoes are finished cooking, add them to the chilli and serve along with the cooked rice.
I recommend adding some chopped fresh coriander (cilantro leaves), a squeeze of lime juice and a few nacho chips.
Recipe Variations:
Different Beans – you can use different types of beans to make this chilli dish, either using one tin of kidney beans and one other type or going for two different types of beans altogether. Chickpeas, black bean, cannellini beans and haricot beans all work well.
A Spicy Chilli – this recipe uses a little chilli powder, which is perfect for many tastes. I like things pretty spicy so often throw in some extra chilli powder. Fresh chillis also work really well if you have them. For a kid friendly version, I leave out the chilli and just add to the adult portions separately.
Mix up the Veg – you can swap in and out veg depending on your personal tastes and what you have available. I often add broccoli, carrots, sweetcorn or courgette for variety.
Serving Variations – this chilli is also really good with wholegrain rice if you have a little extra time to cook it. It also goes well with quinoa or if you are trying to keep the calories lower you can try serving with something like cauliflower rice.
No Air Fryer Version – you can also bake the sweet potatoes in the oven but they will take a little longr, Cut into small cubes for a quicker cooking time.
Other Recipes from The Fit Dish:
If you are a fan of a chilli recipes, I also really recommend trying out the Mixed Bean Chili.
For other satisfying dinner recipes with beans, check out the following:
Creamy Lower Calorie Black Bean Curry
Creamy Red Lentil Curry with Coconut Milk
Heart Healthy Potato and Lentil Dahl
Jamie Oliver Style Veggie Chilli
Equipment
- 2 pots
- 1 Chef knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp oil
- 480 g kidney beans (two tins)
- 500 g sweet potatoes peeled
- 2 peppers
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 800 g chopped tomatoes (two tins)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 280 g basmati rice
- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves (coriander leaves)
Instructions
- Cut the sweet potatoes into bited sized cubes and place into a bowl. Add a tbsp of oil and a tsp of smoked paprika. Toss the sweet potatoes until evenly coated.
- Cook the sweet potatoes in an air fryer at 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit) for around 22 minutes. Move the sweet potatoes around a few times during the cooking process to ensure even cooking.
- Add a tablespoon of oil to a pot along with the onion, garlic and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
- Add 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika, 1 tbsp of cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon and one tsp of chilli powder to the pot and stir in. Cook for another minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, drained beans, red wine vinegar and 250ml (one cup) of water. Bring the pot to the boil then turn down to a gentle simmer for around 15 minutes.
- Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
- Once the sweet potatoes are ready and the chilli has been simmering for around 15 minutes, add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir in. If the chilli looks a bit thick you can add another splash of water.
- Serve with rice and some fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves. Add a little lime juice and a few nachos to serve if you wish.
