Chili with black beans, lentils and eggplant

Ingredients:

• 225 g dried black beans, pre-sorted
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3 dried cascabel or guajillo chili peppers, stems trimmed (for a less spicy flavor, remove the seeds)
• 2 dried chipotle chili peppers, stems trimmed (for a less spicy flavor, remove the seeds)
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 poblano chili pepper, finely chopped
• 4 dried pasilla or mild green chilies, stems trimmed (for milder heat, remove the seeds)
• 1 small eggplant (450 g), cut into 0.5 cm cubes.
• Coarse salt
• 200 g canned pureed tomatoes
• 200 g canned tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp dry vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• Juice of 1 lime

Preparation:

1. Place the black beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak overnight, then drain.
2. In a large, wide saucepan, add the soaked black beans, 2 pasilla peppers, bay leaves, and half the garlic cloves; cover with 3 inches of water.
   
   Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer for 1.5 hours, until the beans are tender. Remove from heat and set the pan aside.
3. Meanwhile, place the remaining 2 pasilla peppers, cascabel peppers, and chipotle peppers in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, crushed dried chili peppers, and cumin and sauté for 7 minutes, until the peppers are soft.
   
   Add the remaining garlic and poblano pepper and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the eggplant, season with salt, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
5. Add the pureed and diced tomatoes, 4 cups of water, the dry broth, and the lentils to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are half-cooked.
6. Add the cooked black beans, along with the cooking liquid, and simmer for another 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked. (The longer the chili simmers, the thicker the dish will be.) Season with salt and add lime juice. Remove the bay leaves and whole pasilla peppers before serving.