I have been trying a few new recipes out using chickpeas/ garbanzo beans. The first one I made up as I went along because I forgot to download the second recipe that I wished to try.

It turned into an Indian style curry that was eatable and quite nice to eat. As for the second recipe I will give it ago soon. It's a Spanish tapas recipe that I got from a blog I was reading, they had the ingredients but not the method which I found in another recipe of the same name. I was looking for a chickpea side dish so both recipes may work.

Spicy Chickpea & Spinach - Indian style
1 x 400g can of chickpea, drained or 3/4 cups of cooked chickpeas.
6 - 8 cubes of frozen spinach or 8 -10 (250g) leaves of spinach, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 - 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Heat a saucepan put in olive oil cook the cumin seed for a few seconds add the turmeric and curry powder add stock, chickpeas, spinach, stir. Bring to the boil and simmer until stock absorbed it's cooked.
Serves 3 as side dish

espinaca con garbanzos (spinach and garbanzo beans)

You can use dried chickpeas and cooked as normal. You need about 3/4 cups of cooked chickpeas.

1 x 400g can of chickpea, drained or 3/4 cups of cooked chickpeas.
8-10 (250g) leaves of spinach, cooked and drained or 8 cubes of frozen spinach
Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
Fresh garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoon each of dried thyme, oregano, rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
dried red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
some cubed white bread (to bind the sauce) about a half slice
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
pinch of salt
splash of water to make the consistency right.

Wash the spinach, drain well, and tear into pieces.
Place in a microwave dish, cover and on high about 4 minutes or less. (Depending on your wattage of your microwave) or simmer 10 minutes in a pot of water on the stove. Drain and chop finely.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and then saute the bread and garlic until they are golden on all sides. Transfer the bread and garlic to the mortar or mini processer.
Add salt and vinegar and mash to a paste.

Add remaining oil to the skillet and heat.
Quickly saute spinach, then add the paprika, chickpeas, the bread and garlic mixture, thyme, oregano, rosemary , cumin, chilli pepper.
Cook a minute, add a little water if mixture seems too dry.
Let sit 10 minutes to blend flavours, and then serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 3 -4