tequila turkey chili- winter day comfort

my hubby made one of his favorite dishes today... tequila chicken turkey chili.  this has become one of my favorite dinners to have on a cold, crisp winter day.  there are so many wonderful spices in this chili, the aroma of it made my house smell amazing all afternoon.  :)  the recipe is one that my husband found in 'the chili cookbook' by norman kolpas.   hubs used ground turkey in this batch instead of ground chicken and it worked just as well.  here is the recipe for this tasty winter comfort dish... hope you enjoy!

 
ingredients:


3 tablespooons vegetable oil, 4 medium-size garlic cloves (finely chopped), 2 medium-size onions** (finely chopped), 1 tablespoon medium-hot pure chili powder, 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1-1/2 pounds ground chicken**, 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup tequila, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano, 2 teaspoons dried leaf basil, 2 teaspoons dried leaf savory, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon white pepper, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons masa harina.

in a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.  add garlic, onions, chile powder, cumin seeds, chile flakes, coriander and saute 2 to 3 minutes.  add chicken**, increase heat to high, and saute until no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring to break meat into rough chunks.  stir in remaining ingredients except masa harina.  bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fairly thick but still slightly liquid, about 1-1/2 hours.  sprinkle in the masa harina, stir and simmer until thick, about 15 mintues more.  serve over steamed rice** and if you so desire, garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and fresh lime wedges.  this recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.


**hubby modified this recipe just slightly:  he used 2 small onions, 1 shallot, and ground turkey instead of ground chicken.  served it over steamed jasmine rice..... YUM!