Black Bean Chili

Derived from a recipe in The Greens Cookbook, which recommends making extra and using it in enchiladas, chilaquiles, and other dishes.  The toasted spices and chilies create an exotic flavor combination - I like the fact that the recipe contains very little salt, and is great without any salt at all.  I've added notes about using a slow cooker for these - you'll need a large slow cooker for this recipe, if yours is not large enough, scale the recipe down accordingly.

These are great served with corn bread.

2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 chili negro or ancho chili (dried), for chili powder, or 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder
    (we use a large dried Hatch chili pod)
3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced into 1/4 inch squares
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds ripe or canned comatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved
1-2 teaspoon chopped chipolte chilies
   (from a can - they are in the Mexican section our grocery store)
~1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (to taste)


Garnishes (your choice, any or all):
   chopped cilantro
   grated cheese (cheddar, muenster, monterey jack, fontina, etc)
   green chilies (canned or roasted)
   sour cream or Mexican creme

Sort through the beans and remove any small stones.  Rinse them well, cover them generously with water, and let them soak overnight.  The next day, drain the beans, put them in a large pot or slow cooker, cover them with water by a couple of inches, and add the bay leaf.  Bring the beans to a simmer (bring to boil on the stove top, then turn them down, or set the slow cooker on high).

Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the cumin seeds, and when they begin to color, add the oregano leaves, shaking the pan frequently so the herbs don't scorch.  As soon as the fragrance is strong and robust, remove the pan from the heat and add the paprika and cayenne.  Give everything a quick stir, then remove from the pan - the paprika and the cayenne only need a few seconds to toast.  Grind in a mortar or a spice mill to make a coarse powder.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  To make the chili powder, put the dried chili in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to dry it out.  Cool it briefly; then remove the stem, seeds, and veins.  Tear the pod into small pieces and grind it into a powder in a blender or spice mill.

Heat the oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions over medium heat until they soften.  Add the garlic, salt, and the ground herbs and chili powder, and cook another 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, their juice, and about 1 teaspoon of the chipolte chili.  Simmer everything together for 15 minutes; then add this mixture to the beans, and, if necessary, enough water so the beans are covered by at least 1 inch.  Cook slowly until the beans are soft, at least an hour if cooking on the stove top, and 6-8 hours in the slow cooker (maybe longer, depending on the cooker).  Keep an eye on the water level and add more if needed, to keep the beans amply covered.

Season to taste with additional chipotle, rice vinegar, and salt.  Garnish as desired.