The nutty goodness of slowly browned onions, spices and sweet potato are offset by a burst of fresh cilantro in this chickpea and rice stew. Serve this hearty dish with whole-wheat pita and a salad of sliced cucumbers tossed with yogurt and a pinch of salt.

Makes 6 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 25 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 cup orange juice
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed
3 cups peeled and diced sweet potato (about 1 pound)
2/3 cup brown basmati rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring often, until tender and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add cumin and coriander and stir for about 15 seconds. Add orange juice and broth. Stir in chickpeas, sweet potato, rice and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the sweet potatoes are breaking down to thicken the liquid, about 45 minutes. Season with pepper. (The stew will be thick and will thicken further upon standing. Add more broth to thin, if desired, or when reheating.) Serve topped with cilantro.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 317 calories;5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 9 g fiber; 362 mg sodium; 461 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (220% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Fiber (37% dv), Iron (15% dv).
3 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 very lean meat

Very delicious - I've cooked this at least a dozen times. I sometimes add small, cubed breast meat after the onions and brown them a bit before adding the liquids - my husband's favorite dish.

Dinna, Mountain View, CA

This recipe didn't work for me. The potatoes never broke down, and the overall flavor was bland. I doubled the coriander, tripled the cumin and added the juice of half a lemon, but still wasn't crazy about the flavor. Maybe if I'd added some bay leaves with the chickpeas, or lots of thyme.... It wasn't inedible, but I was hoping that the orange juice would give me something exciting, and I was disappointed.

Jean, Salt Lake City, UT

This is the most convenient thing to fix for a balanced meal in one plate, works great for bringing my own "frozen dinner" to work. I do always add a lot of extra cumin and coriander though plus a some cayenne. Is nice to eat with a few spoonfuls of yoghurt on top too. Have also tried reheating with some spinach mixed in too and that works well.

Andrea, Raleigh, NC

I thought that this recipe was delicious. I made a few modifications: garlic, extra salt and pepper, bay leaf, and cinnamon sticks. I also added pink lady beans I had around. It was the perfect mix of sweet and salty, and I will definitely make it again.

RT, Atlanta, GA

This is a good simple stew for a winter night. I used apple juice because I didn't realize till it was too late that I was out of OJ and it worked okay but was a little too sweet. The OJ would have been better but we liked the recipe. We felt that the spices were a good combination and didn't need anything added.

chris, Keller, TX