Dried chick peas (also known as garbonzo beans) can be cooked in a pressure cooker or a pot, and are also available canned. I prefer them slightly undercooked, with a nutty taste and texture, not soft.
Pressure Cooker method:
Soak 1/2 cup chick peas in water overnight. Discard water.
Add chick peas, 1 bullion cube (or 1/2 tsp salt) and 4 cups water in a pressure cooker.
Bring to pressure, then cook over moderate heat for 40 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool until pressure is relieved.
Drain, reserve liquid.
Pot method:
Soak 1/2 cup chick peas in water overnight. Discard water.
Boil 4 cups water
Add chick peas.
Boil 2 hours or until chick peas are soft. In the last 1/2 hour, add buillion or salt.
Drain, reserve liquid.
Chop:
1 onion
2 leaves of cabbage
a carrot or two
crush a garlic clove under the flat of your knife, then chop it up.
Saute' chopped vegetables in 2 Tbsp olive oil on moderate heat for five or ten minutes.
Add:
1 Tbsp corn starch
Cooked chick peas
salt, pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
hot pepper sauce to taste
1 Tbsp dehydrated Parsley
1/2 tsp dehydrated ginger
a couple of glugs of wine or sherry or beer
1/4 cup of chick pea broth
Stir briefly and cover. Let steam a few minutes.
If sauce is too wet, add a small amount of corn starch.
Serve over brown rice (see "Spicy Fried Rice" for cooking instructions).