Tinned black beans hold their shape where most tinned pulses go soft, which is what makes this work as a chilli rather than a mush.
- Oil in the pan, dried onion first for two or three minutes until it softens and smells sweet.
- Smoked paprika, cumin, chilli and garlic. Thirty seconds, no longer, and take the pan off the heat if it is fierce.
- Tomatoes in. Let them cook down hard for a good ten minutes before anything else joins them — this is where the depth comes from and it is the step most often rushed. The colour should go from bright red to brick.
- Black beans with half their liquid, and the drained sweetcorn. Simmer 15 minutes.
- Salt, then the vinegar off the heat.
A little vinegar in a chilli does what the lime wedge does when it is served in a restaurant. Without some acid at the end it tastes flat and slightly heavy, no matter how good the spicing was.
Serves 4 with rice or flatbread. If you are serving it with rice, cook the rice to the number of people eating — see the rice page.