Vegetarian Bean Chili

This recipe is taken from Cook's Illustrated "The Best Light Recipe" cookbook. For the beans I used 1 cup kidney beans, 1 cup black beans and a can of the chili mix beans. I am serving this with garlic bread, but you can also serve this over rice. 

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, minced
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
9 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt
3 cups beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water
1 (28-ounce)can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime


1. Toast the cumin seeds in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute.  Stir in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, oil, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Cover and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans, water, tomatoes, oregano, and brown sugar, scraping up any brown bits.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chili is slightly thickened, about 25 minutes.
3. Stir in the corn and continue to simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.  off the heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and season with salt to taste.  (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)