My vegetarian nachos pair a punchy chilli with homemade chips. These are simple to make and ensure that every element of this meal is nourishing as well as delicious.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
Homemade sweet potato chips
2 medium orange kumara (also called sweet potato)
Blackbean and chilli nachos
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 red chilli, seeds removed and diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
2 x 400 gram tins black beans, drained and rinsed well
400 gram tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed well.
3 x 400 gram tins crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
½ cup coconut cream
sea salt and cracked black pepper
olive oil for sautéing and coating chips
To serve: grated cheese, avocado, fresh coriander
METHOD
Homemade sweet potato chips: Preheat oven to 180°C.
Slice the kumara into very thin slices (leaving the skin on) using a mandoline. Drizzle the kumara slices with olive oil. Ensure each one is coated evenly. Lay out slices on two large oven-proof trays. The chips will shrink a lot while cooking so it’s fine for them to overlap a little initially.
Bake for 10 minutes before flipping and cooking for a further 10 minutes. You’ll need to hover a little in those last five minutes, removing any that have browned a lot and leaving the chips that need a little more baking. Lay them out on a cooling rack. Set finished chips aside until ready to use.
Blackbean and chilli nachos: Heat a generous glug of oil in a large saucepan or skillet over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, chilli, celery and carrot. Cook for 10 minutes until the onion is tender.
Add the cumin, garam masala, cinnamon and paprika. Cook for a further minute, adding a little more oil if the pot is too dry.
Add the tins of beans, tomatoes, water and coconut cream. Bring to a boil, before simmering for 60–70 minutes. Stir frequently.
Season to taste.
To assemble: Place a couple of big spoonfuls of heated chilli on to each plate. Top with grated cheese as desired. Place under a hot grill until melted. Surround the chilli with sweet potato chips (it’s important to add the chips after the grilling stage – otherwise they’ll go soggy). Top with avocado and fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
Kelly Gibney
Kelly Gibney is a food writer, stylist and photographer based in Auckland. For more delicious wholefood recipe inspiration head over to her blog, Kelly Gibney.com.
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