I Did It My Way: Chickpeas in a Yogurt-Curry Sauce

So I get home from the gym, starving and in need of protein. Stat. I have no chicken or fish waiting...What could possibly make a full meal quickly? If you said, chickpeas, you are right. Chickpeas, which you likely know from hummus, are under-utilized in the average American's kitchen. And it's a shame: they are hearty, healthful, and can be used about a hundred ways...salads, stews, soups, etc.

I went to the Internet (God, how did people cook before Google?!)...for some inspiration. I found a great recipe that I proceeded to ignore, but use for reference. It is so simple and really refreshing.

What You'll Need: 

• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas - drained and rinsed
• A few tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• Scallions or green onion, to your liking
• 1/2 habenero pepper (or less - they are quite spicy)
• Any other veggies/herbs you would like to include in your chickpea salad -- I used 3 garlic scapes and a few stalks of fennel, but you could include whatever varieties you might have on hand or want to blend together
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (plain would do, but I prefer the sweet-spicy result when using vanilla!)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp curry powder
• A pinch or two of sea salt
• Fresh cilantro

What to Do:

1. Heat some olive oil or vegetable oil in a pan; once hot, add the chickpeas and lemon juice. Saute for about 10 minutes until the chickpeas are golden-brownish. 
2. Remove the chickpeas from the pan and keep aside. In the same pan, add all the vegetables you are going to cook.
3. While the veggies are cooking, prepare the yogurt sauce. Add a really little bit of hot water to the yogurt and whisk until smooth. Add in the curry powder and salt. Whisk together. 
4. Remove the cooked veggies and add to the cooked chickpeas. Add the yogurt sauce and mix all together. 
5. Top with fresh chopped cilantro. Can be served warm or cold. 

This yields about 3 - 4 servings depending on the size of the portion (duh)...I ate it as a meal so I had fewer servings, but as a side it would yield more. 

On another note - I have not been taking pictures to showcase the food, primarily because I've been cooking functionally (as in, to feed myself and not as a "hobby" or cooking for others/parties.) 

~As always, enjoy eating (oops, I mean cooking...)~