Chilli Beef 'n' Black Beans With Pancakes

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes or 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek (both are optional)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced roma tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (15 ounce can, drained)
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups self rising flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk (or substitute buttermilk if desired)
• 1 cup water
• vegetable oil, to grease griddle or frypan
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• sour cream

Recipe

• 1 heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet.
• 2 add onion, garlic and ground beef, and saute over medium to high heat, stirring frequently, until onion has softened and beef is brown.
• 3 stir in taco seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water, and simmer for 1 minute.
• 4 add undrained, uncrushed tomatoes and slowly bring to the boil.
• 5 cover and simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavours to blend and develop.
• 6 add drained black beans and corn kernels, and more water if necessary, and cook a further few minutes, stirring from time to time, until hot.
• 7 for pancakes: mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
• 8 it is not really necessary to sift the flour.
• 9 stir in egg and liquid ingredients with a wire whisk until mixed.
• 10 rub griddle or 6" diameter frypan with some oil.
• 11 heat until water flicked from your fingers bounces around.
• 12 pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter into frypan, for each pancake, and twirl pan until batter covers base.
• 13 cook until bubbled all over the top and brown on the bottom.
• 14 flip and cook until brown on other side.
• 15 repeat with remaining batter.
• 16 (keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven until all the batter is used.) to serve: top pancakes with chilli beef'n' black bean mixture, and served garnished with cilantro and sour cream to taste.