Beef Chilli with Brown Basmati Rice

Brown Basmati and black wild rice takes longer to cook than ordinary basmati (at least thirty minutes), but is easy to prepare if you use a timer. Stir frequently, and add a little sunflower oil to the water, to avoid sticking.

The beef chilli was made with ground beef, garlic, scotch bonnet chilli (half of one, with the seeds removed), onion, tinned tomato, red and yellow pepper (diced), and a diced half head of brocolli. I cooked the onion, garlic and the chilli first, until the onion began to brown.Then I added the ground beef, and cooked that also until it began to brown.

 I added boiling water, some beef stock, and the other vegetables. Cooked for another fifteen minutes before adding the tin of chopped Italian tomatoes. Cook under glass at a low heat for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. If you have two hours available to prepare the dish, you won't regret it: the beef will be wonderfully tender.

Finally I dressed the rice with a few pinches of the spice Sumac, which imparts a subtle lemony flavour to the rice.