Chili con carne from scratch

Store-bought spice mixes often contain a lot of salt. Making a dish from scratch is ideal if you want to watch your salt-intake. And I bet it will taste better too!

What you need (3 servings):
200 g very lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic paste)
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato puree
1 large can of beans (such as pinto, kidney, black-eyed), rinsed and drained
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp ketjap manis (optional, to counteract acidity of the tomatoes)
sour cream or guacamole to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion and garlic, and chopped bell pepper, if using. Add the ground beef, and mash with a fork to break up the meat.
After the meat has browned slightly, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the spices and ketjap manis, if using. Season with some salt and pepper. Add the beans and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve in a bowl with crackers, or use as filling for taco's or burrito's. Top with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole if you feel adventurous :).

Try this:
- add a small can of corn, drained, along with the beans.
- want a thicker chili? Drain the chopped tomatoes before adding to the pan.
- use ground chicken instead of beef for chili con pollo.

Veganize it!
Use a vegan mince or minced TVP (TSP) for chili sin carne.