Chili From the Old East

Chili purists who insist on beef and resist beans no doubt already have their favorite recipe, and nothing can persuade them to try something new.

What I like most about chili, however, is its versatility. Add plenty of chiles and it’s hot; add some cinnamon and allspice and it’s spicy-sweet; add oregano and basil and it’s herbal. Switch from beef to ground turkey breast and you reduce the fat; substitute sausage and it’s rich.

My personal preference is to add more vegetables and beans and reduce the meat, while keeping the chili every bit as hearty as it was meant to be.

The following chili variation for two people was inspired by the Greek dish moussaka, a marvelous layered casserole of eggplant and lamb. The recipe begins with these two ingredients but also calls for enough cayenne pepper to give it the bite of chili.

Unlike traditional chili, this version cooks in 35 to 40 minutes--if a few steps are followed. First, don’t use the globe-shaped deep-purple eggplant. It’s too large for quick cooking and sometimes bitter. Instead, use a thin Japanese eggplant, weighing 6 ounces to 8 ounces. It doesn’t need salting to get rid of the bitterness, and it cooks in minutes.

Second, have your ingredients out, measured and ready for the skillet before beginning.

Third, use canned, not dried, garbanzo beans. They’re readily available and are excellent in this dish.

Fourth, enjoy it as soon as it’s cooked. This Middle Eastern-style chili doesn’t need mellowing.

MIDDLE EASTERN-STYLE CHILI 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 small onion, diced 1 (6- to 8-ounce) Japanese eggplant 1/2 pound ground lamb 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato puree 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, drained Salt Freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute over medium heat until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes.

Trim stem end off eggplant. Halve lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Add to onion and brown over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Add ground lamb and brown, breaking up pieces with spoon. Pour off fat.

Add bay leaf, oregano, cayenne and allspice. Cook 1 minute over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add tomato puree and 1/2 tomato can water (little less than 3/4 cup). Cook until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in garbanzo beans. Cover and simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings.