This comes together very quickly in the beginning, so it’s good to have the vegetables chopped and the spices ground and measured together into a small dish before starting to cook.

The chili can be cooked on the stove in about 45 minutes, or put in a crock pot after step 1 to simmer all day. If cooking on the stove, use at least a 3-4 quart pot. If using a crockpot start out with a frying pan.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. You’re working towards translucence, not browning, so adjust the heat as necessary. Stir in garlic and red pepper and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add ginger and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in spices to cover the vegetables and let bloom for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. DON’T BURN.

If using a crock pot, move the vegetable-spice mixture to the crock pot now. Add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, black beans, lentils, coconut milk and broth. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

If cooking on stove, stir in the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lentils, coconut milk and broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium low and let it simmer about 30 minutes until the lentils are and potatoes cooked. Stir in the black beans and let cook another five minutes.

Once cooked, turn off the crock pot or remove pot from heat. Stir in the lime juice and adjust spices as necessary. Serve garnished with scallions and parsley, and/or grated cheddar or sour cream if you prefer.