Tunisian Chickpea And Beef Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb stewing beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaf
1 fresh hot pepper, of your choice finely chopped
38 ounces canned chick-peas, undrained
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 1 cup broth) or 2 cups beef broth (or 1 cup water and 1 cup broth)
salt, if desired
1/4 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

In a saucepan, heat the oil, then saute the meat over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the onions, cilantro and hot pepper; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 3 more minutes.
Stir in the undrained chickpeas, tomatoes, pepper, cumin, thyme, and broth (or water/broth mixture). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour or until the meat is done. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if desired.
Stir in the olives and lemon juice, and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Serve.