Louisiana vegetarian chili recipe from "Chili Nation." Apologies for length.
The Sterns say the recipe is adapted from a 1959 Creole community cookbook from Baton Rouge.
6 large dried California chiles (you should be able to find these at a Hispanic market or even at some regular grocery stores)
4 cups canned vegetable broth
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
3 T. olive oil
2 1/2 t. salt
1 c. chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground allspice
2 t. dried Mexican oregano
1 t. ground black pepper
1/2 T. red jalapeno powder
one 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic
one 15 oz. can golden hominy, drained
one 15 oz. can white kidney beans, drained
1 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 T. sugar
1 T. masa harina dissolved in 1/2 c. warm water
Place the chiles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. (It's a good idea to poke holes in the chiles first, and put
a small plate on them to keep them submerged.) Let stand 30 minutes or so until soft, then seed and stem them. Puree in a food processor or blender with 2 cups of the broth.
Heat the oven to 350. Coat the eggplant with the olive oil and spread on a baking pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Bake about 30 minutes.
In a large pot or dutch oven, saute the onions, garlic and bell pepper in the vegetable oil until soft. Add the chile puree,
eggplant, and everything else (incl. the remaining salt and veggie broth) except the masa harina mixture. Cook over low heat at a simmer for 15 minutes. Add the masa harina mixture and cook for 2 minutes more.
If you're a dedicated carnivore, some diced sausage (kielbasa or andouille) or smoked ham would be good here. I think okra would be right at home in this stew as well.