adding the yeast extracts vegemite or marmite to beans will infuse the dish with a meaty, savory, salty flavor.
I agree completely with the curry and the black beans comments. A well-made dal is fantastic. I never use anything other than black beans in my chili, as they impart a meaty and flavorful element. Also, I don’t drain them, and I ONLY use S&W brand. I find most others, especially the store brands, to be somewhat nasty.
What, your chili isn’t meaty otherwise?
Don’t want to sidetrack the thread, but chili is an intensely subjective affair. I’ve experimented with Texas chilis, Arizona chilis, tomatoless chilis, onionless chilis, beanless chilis, all-different-kinds-of-beans chilis, cut-steak chilis, fresh chile chilis, toasted dried red chile chilis, powdered chile chilis, chili powder chilis (not the same as powdered chile chilis).
Now I’m old and depressed and beaten down by life and the only chili I want is true to my Cleveland/New England/NYC roots…ground beef, LOTS of chile and garlic and oregano, minimal tomato and onion and cumin, and red kidney beans…
Oh, yeahhhhh, I could make an entire meal of good dal and rice. And dal never has meat in it, that I know of.
Huh. I’ll have to try that. I’ve never tried Marmite or Vegemite, but this sounds like a good opportunity to do so.
Don’t care for kidney beans, myself. I like pintos, but prefer black. I’m also one of those heathens that makes my chili with chicken, so a little extra kick from the beans is a good thing. At chili events or pot lucks, my pot is always one of the empty ones at the end, so I’m doing something right.