Warm a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat.
Add the oil and allow a few minutes for it to warm up.
Add the minced onion and salt.
Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be golden brown and almost "melting" into the oil. They should be very soft.
Add the garlic and the jalapeño peppers and cook for about one minute, stirring constantly.
Then stir in the cumin, garlic powder and chili powder. Stir and cook for about 1 minute more.
Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, chickpeas and water. Raise the heat to bring everything to a boil, and then immediately reduce heat to low.
Place a slightly vented lid on the pot and simmer as low as possible for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated and you are left with a nice stew consistency. The lid should only have a small vent as shown here.
Once done, remove from heat and serve alone or over brown rice, garnished with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible. Note that the sodium content will come way down if you cook the chickpeas from dry beans at home and use low sodium, diced tomatoes.