method

1) Chop up squash into thick slices, drizzle with oil, season with seasalt, pepper, dried chilli, and ground coriander. Roast for 1 hour.

2) Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a heavy pan and grind in a pestle and mortar. Soak the chillies in boiling water for 5 mins

3) Chop onion and peppers and fry in oil in a deep pan until soft. Add ground spices and soaked chilli. Add minced beef, seasalt, sugar and oregano and fry until meat is cooked. Add the tomatoes and then fill the can with water and add that. Bring to boil and then simmer for 45mins - 1 hour.

4) Drain the beans. Chop the roasted squash into 1 inch cubes and add to the chilli. Cook for a further 15 - 30 mins.

5) Just before serving, add half the fresh coriander (keep the rest for garnishing) and the lime juice.

6) Serve with white basmati rice, lashings of soured cream and fresh tortillas. Also good with baked sweet potato and guacamole.

vegetarian mixed bean chilli

Replace the meat with more beans but it is important that dried and cooked beans are used. Prepare and cook your beans in the following way:

1) Any combination of beans (red kidney, black eyed, aduki, cannelini, borlotti) soaked over night with lots of water, 1 teaspoon seasalt and 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

2) Rinse the beans, cover with water in a deep pan and bring to the boil.

3) Add a whole large onion, 3 - 4 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, a tin of tomatoes and 1 dried chilli. Boil for 10 mins then simmer for about an hour or until the beans are soft.

4) Remove the onion and bay leaves, reserve the cooking liquor (reduce if necessary) and use it to add to the chilli.