While my wife Sofie was pregnant, this was one of her ultimate cravings! We batch-cooked it and froze portions for when our baby boy arrived and it saved plenty of dinners that could have gone awry due to lack of sleep. Chipotle paste is a thick, smoky and spicy paste that adds great depth to the dish – in its absence a tablespoon of smoked paprika will suffice. Feel free to use any minced meat you like here.

Ingredients

Serves 6

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 750 g turkey mince (2% fat)
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp hot chilli powder
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  • 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 2 x 400 g tins kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • To serve
  • Fresh coriander leaves Soured cream
  • Rice or tortilla chips

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a shallow casserole over a medium–high heat and fry the onion, carrot, celery and red pepper for 10 minutes until softened. Add the turkey mince, increase the heat and brown all over, stirring to break up the mince.
  2. Add the spices and cook for a minute before adding the chopped tomatoes and chipotle paste. Season well and simmer, uncovered, for 11⁄2–2 hours, adding a splash of water every so often to stop it drying out.
  3. Once the turkey is lovely and tender and the sauce is thick and rich, add the beans with another splash of water and cook for a further 10–15 minutes.
  4. Serve with coriander leaves, soured cream and steamed rice or tortilla chips.