2 1/2 c Kidney beans; dried, soaked
3 ts Salt
1 c Tomato juice
1 c Bulghur; raw
2 tb Olive oil
2 md Onions; coarse chopped
4 cl Garlic; crushed
3 Celery ribs; coarse chopped
3 Carrots; coarse chopped
4 Tomatoes; coarse chopped
1 tb Fresh lemon juice
2 tb Hot red chile; ground
3 tb Mild red chile; ground
1 ts Ground cumin
1/2 ts Mexican oregano
1 ts Dried basil
Fresh black pepper
1 1/2 Bell peppers; coarse dice
Transfer the kidney beans and the water in which they were soaked
to a large heavy saucepan. Add 1 ts salt and bring to a boil over
high heat. Lower the heat and continue boiling the beans, partially
covered, until tender, about 1 hour. Watch the water level and add
more, if necessary, to keep the beans from scorching.
Meanwhile, place the tomato juice in another saucepan and bring to
a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat immediately and add
the bulghur to the juice. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. It
should be slightly crunchy. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the
onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent. Add
the celery, carrots, tomatoes, lemon juice, and all the
spices--including the remaining salt--to the onions and cook,
covered, until the vegetables are nearly tender, about 10 to
15 minutes. Add the bell peppers and continue cooking another
10 minutes.
Add the kidney beans, the water in which they cooked, and the
bulghur to the vegetables in the large pot. Stir the mixture
thoroughly and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. The chilli may
be thick--add water as necessary and stir occasionally making sure
the bulghur does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Taste and
adjust seasonings.
