Chipotle Vegetarian Beer Chili with Avocado Relish
Hearty vegetarian chipotle chili, warms you up from the inside out on a chilly night. Filling kidney beans, red bell peppers, spicy chipotle, tomato, and your favorite beer for depth of flavors with some homemade lime flavored tortilla chips on the side.
​​​by priti malhotra

Priti learned to cook under the tutelage of her mother, an excellent cook,  who was ahead of her times, experimenting with recipes and ingredients that were not staple in Indian kitchens at that time. For example, she made taco shells from scratch, when very few around knew what a “taco” was. Priti, through osmosis, absorbed her passion for creativity and stellar food presentation.
Now, Priti creates easy to follow, non-fussy, vegetarian and plant based recipes, melding the traditional with the new. She is always on a look out to try new ingredients, oils, spices, and to create something different, adapt and merge together food from different cultures. When she entertains friends, she likes to display, on her kitchen island, attractive bite-sized foods  that go well with wine.  Priti also enjoys exploring off-the-grid bars, wineries, coffee shops and restaurants and soak in everything that her beautiful town and state has to offer.

Ingredients: 
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 cup diced onion
1 tomato diced
1/2 serrano pepper diced 
1 red bell pepper diced
1 can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1/2 package meatless grounds - I used Lightlife Foods
3 chipotle chillies in adobe sauce, chopped roughly 
3/4 cup stout or any beer you like (optional)
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
1 tsp garlic granules
2-3 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
3 cups water

Optional Topping - Diced avocado or;
Avocado relish - diced avocado, cilantro , salt and lime
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Directions: 
In a large dutch oven, heat up the avocado oil. Add the onions and serrano peppers and cook for a few minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft and tender. Pour in the beer and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, the kidney beans and the meatless grounds. Give it a good stir, breaking the grounds with the back of your wooden spoon. Add all the dry spices, salt, cumin, pepper, and garlic powder. Fold it all together. Add the tomato puree and 3 cups of water. Stir well, and cover with lid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes or until thickened, stirring from time to time. Add a little water if you feel that the mixture is too thick.

Serve with topping of your choice. An easy relish made with diced avocado, cilantro, a dash of citrus salt/ salt and a squeeze of lime, makes for a perfect fresh contrast to the smokiness of the chili.