Total Time30 minutes

Rating5(4,050)CommentsRead comments

Related to a classic chili, this fast-cooking recipe combines legumes, meat and spices, with excellent results. This dish works equally well with canned or home-cooked chickpeas; if you like a bit more kick, double or triple the ancho chiles or chile powder. Turmeric or saffron also work well. Don’t want to use ground beef? Ground turkey, chicken or pork would sub in well here; add a little oil to the pan first. For a bit more flavor, add a clove or two of chopped garlic to the browning meat. The point is: improvise.

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Yield:4 servings

• ½ to 1pound ground beef or other meat
• 4cups cooked chickpeas (about 1 28-ounce can), drained (reserve 1 cup liquid)
• 2teaspoons ground cumin
• 1ancho or chipotle chile, soaked, stemmed, seeded and minced; or 1 teaspoon good chile powder
• 2teaspoons minced garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Minced cilantro or parsley for garnish (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

584 calories; 26 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 756 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Step 1

Turn heat to high under a large, deep skillet, and add meat a little at a time, breaking it into small pieces as you do. Stir and break up meat a bit more, then add chickpeas. Keep heat high, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until chickpeas begin to brown and pop, 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t worry if mixture sticks a bit, but if it begins to scorch, lower heat slightly. 1.

Step 2

Add cumin, chili or chili powder and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add reserved cooking liquid, and stir, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Season with salt and pepper, then turn heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until mixture is no longer soupy but not dry. 1.

Step 3

Stir in olive oil, then taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish if you like, and serve immediately, with rice or pita bread.

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suggestions from our family (my husband hails from the Levant): (1) fry onions along with the meat, (2) coriander is another good addition to the spice mix, (3) add lemon juice & chopped sun-dried tomatoes at the end to help with dryness, (4) serve with a side of arugula drizzled with lemon juice & salt

This is basically a quicker, simpler version of the Indian dish chole keema, which I make often. If you have it, I would use garam masala instead of the cumin in this recipe for a better depth of spice flavors. A heavy pinch of sugar is also a nice counterbalance to the spices.

How about Bulgar wheat? And please, no turkey(smells like singed feathers); use 1/2 lb ground lamb or beef w. your spices-cumin, turmeric, Aleppo pepper (Amazon) would go great for a little heat, real garlic, all in olive oil (margarine-I cringe). This is a mid-eastern style dish. Saute meat, then drain fat in colander to omit grease. Cilantro, absolutely. Lemon juice is also a plus. I’ve been making takes on this for years.

This unfortunately was not a family favorite for us. Maybe it was my cooking, or the recipe itself or a little bit of both.

I agree with several others that this is actually quite bland

So good! Cooked 1/2 lb beef with an onion. 1 can garbanzos (15 oz). Used the full measure of spices, 3 cloves of garlic, some coriander and za’atar. Deglazed the pan with red wine. Added 2 tsp homemade hot sauce, 1/2 lemon’s worth of juice and parsley at the end, omitting extra olive oil. Served with green salad and fresh sesame bread, accompanied with Lebanese music. Perfect for 2.

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