I have never tried using chick peas but a friend suggested I try to make a main dish using them. Any ideas?

Chick peas are amazing and available either dried or tinned. Dried are cheaper, but take time to soak, whereas tinned are ready to use. A chick pea curry makes a perfect midweek meal - healthy, cheap and filling. In a medium sized frying pan, fry 2 peeled and finely chopped onions and 2 cloves crushed garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil. Add a quarter tsp salt, half a tsp ground cumin, quarter tsp ground coriander, quarter tsp turmeric, and a quarter tsp red chilli powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add 2 freshly chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 5-6 minutes. Add 50 ml water, then add a drained 400g tin of chick peas, add a 5cm piece of peeled and grated root ginger and a large pinch of garam marsala. Simmer for a further 10 minutes. Finish with some freshly chopped coriander leaf and serve with some pitta breads and basmati rice.