Vegetarian chilli over an open fire – mild in the pot, hot in the jar

Red lentils, smoked paprika and cocoa – the heat comes in a jar of its own

4 servings
Time: 15 min at home + 40 min over the fire
Difficulty: Easy
25 ingredients
9 steps

Photo: Benreis, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The fire pit is where the trail turns back, and the woodshed has only a few split birch logs left. Out of the pulk comes a light bag of something orange and brown that rattles. It weighs almost nothing, and it has been out in the cold all morning without that mattering in the slightest. Twenty minutes after it has been tipped into the pot, the lentils have cooked down and made the tomatoes thick and glossy, and the smell of smoked paprika reaches all the way to the skis in the snow.

Vegetarian chilli, or chilli sin carne, is unusually well suited to a winter's day by the fire. There is no raw meat that has to be kept cold but not frozen, and most of what fills you up comes from dried lentils and soya mince that can cope with any amount of cold. The pot is made mild for the whole family. The heat sits in a small tub alongside, so everyone can sprinkle on as much as they like.

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At home or by the fire

At home you mix the two bags. The lentils, soya mince, cocoa, stock and salt in one, the spices in the other. The spices are kept separate because they are to be fried for half a minute in the oil, whereas the cocoa and lentils cannot take frying. Chop the onion, garlic and pepper and grate the carrot. The vegetables can travel in a bag in the pulk, and it does not matter if they freeze, since they are going to be fried and boiled anyway.

The only thing that really suffers from the cold is the tomatoes and the beans. They are mostly water and can freeze into a lump in an outside pocket within a few hours. Put them in the middle of the rucksack or deep inside the pulk, wrapped in a sleeping mat or a jumper. How to pack a pulk so heavy tins do not tip it over is explained in pulk sled with gear.

By the fire you fry the vegetables and spices, pour in the tomatoes, water and dry bag and let everything boil. Nobody has to chop with stiff fingers, and the only thing to measure outdoors is the water.

What the cold does to the chilli

The lentils keep absorbing water for a long time. Red lentils cook down and thicken the chilli. That makes it creamy, but it keeps thickening while it sits by the fire and in the cup. Bring an extra half litre of water, or melt snow if there is nothing else, see melting snow for water.
The lentils settle on the bottom. Lentils that have cooked down sink and form a dense porridge against the bottom of the pot, where the embers are hottest. There they burn on long before the surface shows any sign of it. Run the spoon across the whole bottom when you stir, and add water once too often rather than once too few.
Oil and chilli sauce set. Chilli oil turns cloudy and sluggish, and watery chilli sauce can freeze in the bottle. Dried chilli flakes and cayenne pepper are not affected by the cold, which is why the heat travels dry in the tub.
Soured cream turns grainy. If soured cream or yoghurt freezes, it turns grainy when it thaws. It is fine to eat, but it does not look as nice. Keep it close to your body or in the middle of the rucksack.
Tortilla chips get crushed. In a bag in the pulk they turn to crumbs. Put them in a tub, or bring tortillas, which can be packed flat.

What is worth cooking at home and what is worth cooking outdoors when it is cold is covered in cooking outdoors in winter.

Tips for a better chilli by the fire

The cocoa makes a difference. A tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa gives the chilli a dark, rounded flavour without it tasting of chocolate. If you would rather have chocolate, melt a piece of dark chocolate into the pot just before serving.
Acidity last. Lime juice or vinegar lifts all the flavours, but should go in when the pot is ready.
Do not leave it in the cast iron. Tomato is acidic, and in a cast-iron pot where chilli is left standing for hours the flavour can turn metallic. Ladle it out or tip it into a tub when you have eaten.
The food flask. Chilli works well in a flask, but only once it is fully cooked. Red lentils need to boil, not just steep in hot water, so never put the dry bag and hot water in a flask and hope for the best. Thin it a little before you pour it in, or it will become a compact lump at the bottom of the flask.

Vegetarian chilli with children

The base of this chilli is mild. Smoked paprika and cumin add flavour but no heat, and the little pinch of cinnamon and the cocoa make it rounder. So the whole family can eat from the same pot, and anyone who likes it hot helps themselves from the tub.

The children can mix the dry bag at home, measure out the lentils and rinse the beans in a colander. By the fire they can tip the dry bag into the pot with an adult beside them, and then build their own cup with cheese, sweetcorn and soured cream. Let them crush the tortilla chips over the chilli themselves. More about how children can help safely by the fire is in cooking with children over a fire.

Safety at the chilli pot

Hot chilli burns for a long time. Lentils and beans hold their heat, and a thick chilli cools much more slowly than a soup. Let the cup stand for a minute or so and give the children half-full cups.
The lid and the splashes. Lift the lid away from you. Have the children stand on the other side of the fire while you stir.
If someone burns themselves: cool with cool water. Never use snow or ice. Do not cool for more than about 15 minutes, since the person being cooled easily gets chilled in winter, and keep the rest of the body warm. Seek medical care for large or deep burns, and always if a child aged 12 months or younger has been burnt. More about the cold is in hypothermia and frostbite.
The lentils must boil. Lentils and beans contain lectins, which can cause nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps if the pulses are not properly cooked. The lectins are destroyed by boiling. That is why the chilli should bubble for 20 minutes and not just sit warm at the edge of the embers. Tinned beans are already cooked. Dried beans need soaking and long boiling at home, see beans and sausage over an open fire.
Leftovers. Leftovers cool quickly outdoors when it is below freezing. If there is more than half a litre, divide it into smaller tubs so it cools fast. Put the tubs in the fridge when you get home. The chilli will often keep there for several days, and longer the colder the fridge is. Reheat the leftovers until they bubble and stir well, since thick chilli gets hot at the edge long before the middle.

Rules on making fires and fire bans are in lighting fires outdoors.

Allergens

Soya mince contains soya, and some kinds also contain wheat. Stock cubes can contain celery and gluten. Cheese and soured cream contain milk, and tortillas and bread contain gluten. Read the packets if anyone has an allergy, and replace the soya mince with more lentils for a soya allergy.

Common mistakes

The dry bag goes in before it boils – the lentils go lumpy and the soya mince turns doughy.
The spices are fried for too long – the cumin turns bitter in seconds over hot embers.
The pot is only left to steep at the edge of the embers – the lentils stay hard, and they need a proper boil.
The beans are boiled from the start – they turn to mush and the chilli goes cloudy.
Too little water brought along – the chilli thickens and burns on while it stands.
The chilli powder is mixed into the whole pot – the children will not eat it, and the adults are left with a pot nobody wants seconds of.

Vary the chilli

Without soya mince: use 2.5 dl red lentils and 1.5 dl more water, or a third tin of beans.
With sweet potato: grate a small sweet potato at home and fry it with the vegetables.
With sweetcorn and pepper: stir in a tin of sweetcorn with the beans for more sweetness, which children often like.
Vegan: serve with avocado or vegan soured cream instead of cheese and soured cream.
With mince: if you want a classic chilli with meat, see chilli con carne. If you would rather have a smoky bean dish with sausage, there is beans and sausage over an open fire.

Frequently asked questions

Do red lentils need soaking before the chilli?

No. Split red lentils do not need soaking, and they cook down in 15–20 minutes. But they need to boil properly, not just sit in hot water.

Can you use dried beans instead of tinned?

Yes, but cook them at home following the packet, as dried beans have to be soaked and boiled for a long time for the lectins to be destroyed. Bring them ready-cooked and stir them in for the last five minutes, just like the tinned beans. About 200 g, just over 2.5 dl, of dried beans is enough to replace two tins.

How do you make the chilli hot just for the adults?

Keep the pot mild and put the heat in a small tub of dried chilli flakes, cayenne pepper or smoked chipotle powder. Dried spices do not freeze and can be sprinkled over each cup separately.

Can you make the chilli at home and heat it by the fire?

Yes. Make it at home, let it cool quickly and freeze it flat in a bag, or take it in an airtight tub. By the fire, heat it with a splash of water in the bottom and stir often, as a frozen lentil chilli easily burns on.

Why does vegetarian chilli get so thick when it stands?

It is the lentils. Red lentils cook down and keep binding water long after the pot is ready. Thin it with a little water and stir before you serve.

What goes with vegetarian chilli outdoors?

Tortillas or tortilla chips are the easiest to bring. A frying-pan bread can be baked while the lentils are cooking. For pudding, a cup of hot chocolate goes down well before you head home.

More dishes for a winter's day by the fire are gathered under fire food.