Potato Curry Chili

We were looking for a chili that was a little different and came across this recipe on Pinterest from a vegan blog called Vegan Yack Attack.   We figured beans, veggies, and lots of spices would be quite tasty, and they were!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed and Diced
• 1½ C. Bell Pepper, Diced (I used half Red & half Yellow)
• 1¼ C. White Onion, Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• Optional: 1 T. Fresh Jalapeño, Diced
• 4 tsp. Yellow Curry Powder
• 1 T. Chili Powder
• ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1- 14.5 oz. Can Fire Roasted & Diced Tomatoes (with Green Chiles)
• 1- 15 oz. Can Pinto Beans, with liquid
• 1- 15 oz. Can Black Bean, with liquid
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1-2 T. Fresh Lime Juice

Directions:

1. Turn the temperature setting to High on a 4-6 Qt. Slow cooker.
2. Place the potatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic and jalapeño (if using) into the pot, along with the curry powder, chili powder and smoked paprika. Stir all of them together until the spices coat everything evenly.
3. Next, add the tomatoes, beans and bay leaves to the pot and stir together, adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. You can either leave the temperature on HIGH and cook for 3-4 hours or LOW and cook for 6 hours (or until the potatoes are tender); it just depends on the slow cooker, really.
5. Just before you are getting ready to serve it, stir the lime juice into the chili and remove the bay leaves.
6. Serve hot and garnish with a lime wedge or bay leaf.

What we did differently:

1. In our house, jalapeño is never optional, so I diced a whole small one. It was probably a little over a tablespoon, but did not overpower the dish.
2. I did not have plain yellow curry powder, so I used hot curry powder (which was kind of yellow). Not knowing how much hotter it was, I used 3 tsp instead of 4. Ed told me I could have gone with the full 4 tsp.
3. I forgot to stir in the lime juice before I ladled the chili into bowls, but did add it to the pot afterwards. It definitely added some zest to the flavor profile of the second bowl (yes, it was that tasty that we had seconds!) 
4. We served with some lightly toasted naan to sop up any stray sauce.

Our thoughts:

Very hearty dish! Easy, very flavorful, and perfect for a cool fall evening. Shows that a chili doesn't have to have meat in it to be yummy!