Emir/Emira chickpea, beet, and avocado salad

Serves 4

Watertown cooking teacher Ahmad Yasin makes this dish with dried chickpeas, which he soaks, then simmers until tender. This version is made with canned chickpeas.

2	beets, trimmed and scrubbed
2	ripe avocados
2	cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2	cloves garlic
	Salt and pepper, to taste
	Juice of 1 lemon
3	tablespoons olive oil
3	sprigs fresh parsley, leaves chopped
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin

1. In a saucepan, combine the beets with water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and partially cover the pan. Simmer the beets for 40 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a skewer. Remove the beets from the water and set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, halve and pit the avocados. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Add the chickpeas.

3. When the beets are cool enough to handle, quarter them, then cut them into 1-inch pieces. Add them to the chickpea mixture.

4. On a board, crush the garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle the dressing over the salad. Add the parsley, cumin, and pepper. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Adapted from Ahmad Yasin