Instructions: Chickpeas have characteristics other legumes dont share. When cooked until tender, they dont turn to mush, and their cooking broth is delicious. This recipe takes advantage of both assets. Related to a classic chili, it combines chickpeas, meat and spices. The cooked chickpeas (garbanzos) are sauteed over high heat until browned and slightly crisp, and the pan is deglazed with chickpea cooking liquid.

I first made this dish with chickpeas I had cooked myself, then wondered: Will this work with canned, cooked chickpeas? It will. Canned chickpeas are sturdy enough to withstand the skillets heat, and their broth tastes good enough to pass muster.

Still, the broth can be improved. I simmered the canned broth with a carrot, onion and celery stalk for about 20 minutes. Not surprisingly, the flavor was better. Better still was cooking dried chickpeas in water flavored with those vegetables. Choosing between dried and canned chickpeas is a matter of time: dried peas can take up to two hours to become tender in the pot.

The dish is strongly seasoned with cumin, chili and garlic. I wasnt looking for super-heat but for rich flavor. I settled on the mild ancho chili. A considerably stronger chipotle could be used. (The easiest way to prepare a dried chili is to soak it in hot water until it softens, split it and discard the seeds and stem.) For more heat, use more chilies.

I tried the dish with beef, pork and turkey and found little difference. Beef browned the best in the least time. Use the ground meat you prefer: the smaller amount for flavor and texture, the larger for bulk and protein.

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