Garbanzo Beans-nimbuls (Nohut)

1 can of garbanzo beans. (I prefer using organic dry garbanzo beans; they absolutely taste better than canned ones. I cook them for 40 minutes in a pressure cooker. You can also soak them in water overnight and then boil for an hour or two before you start cooking)
1 onion, diced
2 green peppers, chopped
1 can of diced tomato or
2 grated fresh tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato or pepper paste (or 1/2 tbsp pepper + 1/2 tbsp tomato)
2 tbsp oil (olive, corn, butter)
salt & black pepper
any other spice you want--to spice up garbanzos: crushed peppers, green or red chili powder, etc.

optional:
1 carrot, chopped in half rounds or diced
stew beef

-Heat the oil in a pot and then add first onions, then green peppers (if you want carrots, add them with peppers). Stir on medium heat for 4-5 minutes
-Add the paste. After two minutes of stirring, add tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes
-Now it's time for garbanzo beans, salt & pepper, other spices, and hot water (enough to cover)
-Cook for 20-25 minutes on low heat. If you're using a pressure cooker, cook for 10 minutes.
-Serve with rice.

If you want to try this recipe with stew beef or lamb, add the meat in between onions and peppers and cook until the meat changes its color; it would be probably between 5-7 minutes.

Turkish Style Navy Beans-nimbuls

This is one of my exprerimental recipes inspired by a national Turkish dish "Kuru Fasulye" (White Beans)

1 can of navy beans
1 can of diced tomato or 3 tomatoes, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
3 banana peppers, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp tomato or pepper paste
salt & black pepper
1 tsp dried mint (or fresh)

-Stir onions and garlic with oil for a couple of minutes
-Add green peppers and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes
-Then add tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes
-Once both peppers and the paste are cooked, add the diced tomato or grated fresh tomatoes, and bring to a boil on medium heat.
-Let it boil for 5 minutes and add navy beans, salt, black pepper, and mint (if you don't like mint, you can replace mint with parsley).
-Add 1/3 cup of hot water and cook for 20 minutes.

Rice à la Turque with Vermicelli-nimbuls(Tel Şehriyeli Pilav)

2 tbsp Olive/ sun flower/ corn oil, or butter (rice is best with butter)
Use a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice. Although this works for almost any kind of rice (white, basmati, jasmine, brown), use only white rice with vermicelli.
1/4 cup vermicelli
hot water
salt

-Heat oil in pot and add vermicelli noodles. Stir until noodles are slightly brown. Try not to burn the noodles.
-Add rice, and keep stirring for another minute.
-Add hot water and salt. Bring to boil.
-Put the lid on and cook until rice soaks the water on low heat.
-Do not stir the rice while it's cooking; that will break the rice.
-Cook until the water is gone. Turn the heat off and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
-Open the lid and fluff the rice before you serve it.

Green Peas-nimbuls (Bezelye)

1 pound of frozen or fresh green peas
2 tomatoes, diced / grated or 1 can of diced tomato
2 carrots, chopped in half-rounds
1/2 belle pepper or two banana peppers, chopped
1 medium size potato, diced
1/4 cup oil (olive, corn, vegetable, or butter)
2 tbsp tomato or pepper paste
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups of hot water
salt
dill or parsley

-For this recipe you don't have to cook anything beforehand. Put the onions, green peppers, carrots, potatoes, green peas, and tomatoes on top of each other in a pan in this order.
-Stir the tomato/pepper paste in hot water, and pour it on to vegetables.
-Add oil, salt, and pepper.
-Cover and cook on low heat for half an hour.
-Garnish with dill or parsley.