A chilli built for a British winter

Chilli has quietly become one of the most cooked dishes in British homes, and for good reason. It is cheap, forgiving, and it fills the kitchen with the kind of smell that makes people drift in from other rooms. The trouble is that the vegetarian version so often disappoints. Without the beef, too many recipes turn out thin, sharp and oddly watery, tasting mostly of tinned tomatoes.

The answer is not a clever meat substitute. It is the oven. Roasting the squash before it ever meets the pan drives off water, concentrates the sugars and gives the edges a bit of colour and chew. What goes into the pot afterwards is sweet, deep and substantial — the sort of thing that stands up to a cold Tuesday in February. This recipe serves six generously, and it is better on the second day.

Choosing and roasting the squash

Butternut is the dependable choice and the one most supermarkets sell all year round, but if you spot a Crown Prince, an onion squash or a kabocha, take it. These have denser, drier flesh, which means less water in the finished pot and a fuller flavour. A squash weighing about 1kg will give you roughly 800g of prepared flesh, which is exactly right here.

Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6). Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds, and cut the flesh into cubes roughly 2cm across. Keep them fairly even — uneven pieces either collapse or stay stubbornly firm.

• 1 medium squash (about 1kg), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• A good pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper

Toss the cubes with the oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, then spread them out on a large baking tray in a single layer. Use two trays if you need to. Crowded squash steams rather than roasts, and you will lose the very texture you are after. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the edges are browned and a knife slides through without resistance. Set aside.

The spice base does the heavy lifting

While the squash roasts, start the base. This is where the depth comes from, so give it the time it needs rather than rushing to add the tins.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tsp mild chilli powder, or more to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• A small pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp tomato purée

Warm the oil in a wide, heavy-based casserole over a medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the peppers and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the cumin seeds, ground cumin, paprika, chilli powder, oregano and cinnamon. Stir constantly for a full minute — you want the spices to darken slightly and smell toasted, not burnt. Add the tomato purée and cook it out for another minute until it turns a rusty brick colour and starts to catch on the base of the pan.

Beans, tomatoes and a patient simmer

Now build the pot. Two tins of kidney beans give the classic look, but a tin of black beans alongside adds a softer, earthier note that works well with the squash. Keep the liquid from one tin of beans — it helps thicken the sauce.

• 2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 x 400g tin black beans, with its liquid
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 squares dark chocolate (at least 70%), or 1 tsp cocoa powder

Tip in the tomatoes, stock, soy sauce and beans, then stir well and scrape the base of the pan clean. Bring to a gentle simmer, turn the heat down low, and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring now and then. The sauce should reduce and thicken until it coats a spoon. Add the roasted squash for the final 10 minutes so it warms through without breaking down. Stir in the chocolate at the very end — it will not make the chilli taste of chocolate, it simply rounds off the acidity of the tomatoes.

Finish with the juice of half a lime, a large handful of chopped coriander and a final check of salt. The lime matters more than you would think.

Serving, toppings and using up the rest

Rice is the obvious partner, but this chilli is just as good spooned over a baked potato, piled into soft tacos, or spread across a tray of tortilla chips with grated cheese melted over the top. For a proper weekend version, serve it with soured cream, sliced pickled red onions, mature cheddar, sliced avocado and plenty of coriander.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to four days and improve overnight as the spices settle. It also freezes beautifully — portion it into tubs while still slightly cool and it will keep for three months. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water to loosen, rather than blasting it in the microwave, which toughens the beans. If you have a spare roasted squash in the fridge, this is a very good place for it to end up.