Chili -- was -- Re: [at-l] Planet Outdoors and The Ruck

[ATnavi@aol.com]

Apologies for my veritable flood of posts...I've been so e-deprived, and 
coming off 36 hours of transit hell, my mind is addled. I couldn't help but 
stay up half the night to catch up on things. To top it off, I'm headed out 
to Cumberland Island tomorrow for five days of backpacking...hooray! So this 
is my teeny tiny window of opportunity to communicate...gotta start packing!

Thinking about GMC's request for recipes, it's not at all unreasonable. After 
all, MOST of the list wasn't able to taste the goodies. So don't hold it back 
to just the winners-- I think anyone who wants to should share their 
recipes-- especially the vegetarians. Chili dehydrates well. Given that, I 
proudly present 

The Ruck version of Navigator's Dharma Masala Chili...
I double dare you to try this at home!!!
===================================================
fresh peppers: 2 sweet red, 1 green, 2 sweet cubanelle, 1 hot cubanelle, 2 
hot chili, 1 hot jalapeno. Diced and sliced small.
2 vidalia onions, diced.
1-28oz can chopped tomatoes. 1-28oz can crushed tomatoes. (note: someone put 
my crushed tomatoes in the stone soup, sending me into a panic. Pittsburgh 
was kind enough to run out to the grocery store, 20 miles away, to buy some 
more)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 lbs ground beef, browned
1 packet taco seasoning
2 tbsp fresh masala*, 2 tbsp fresh chili powder*, 3 tbsp garam flour* (*-- 
see your local Indian grocer for details)
1 tbsp Greek sea salt
2 tbsp whole cumin seeds, 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Add taco seasoning to beef as it browns; add onion and peppers, cook all at a 
warm heat until slightly soft (may need to add in the water from the diced 
tomatoes to prevent sticking to pot). Add cilantro, masala, chili, salt, 
cumin, pepper flakes. Slowly add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Mix 
well and slowly to distribute all spices. Add more chili powder to taste. 
Allow to simmer on very low heat for six hours or more. Just before serving, 
stir in garam (lentil) flour to thicken. Serves plenty! :)

What was missing: beer. I forgot to bring it. I might have been in first 
place if I did...<G>... I sometimes add a fresh habenero, too, but the fresh 
chili powder did the trick this time. Not at all the stuff you buy at Sam's. 

BTW, lots of the chili offerings were fab. Sly's I liked except the 
aftertaste...Sloetoe's was a little sweet for me. (I ate a cup of each. Chili 
addict!!)

Cheers, Navigator



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