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+ servings
a brown bowl of cooked chips with radish on the side
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5 from 84 votes

The Best Hummus Balila (Lebanese Warm Chickpeas)

Hummus Balila is a mouthwatering dish of tender warm chickpeas, topped with spices and copious amounts of cumin and olive oil. A typical Lebanese breakfast food (or brunch). Naturally gluten free and vegan.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time42 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, side
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 267kcal
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • cups Chickpeas cooked and warm (hot)
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Sweet paprika powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Red hot chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil extra virgin

Instructions

  • Using Dry Chickpeas - Remove any unwanted chickpea pieces and then soak overnight in water (1 cup of chickpeas to 5 cups of water). The next morning, add the chickpeas and their water to a pot, bring to a soft boil over high heat and then turn down to low heat and cook with lid partially open for approximately 40 minutes. Skim off any froth.
    Using Canned Chickpeas - Add chickpeas with their brine to a pot and cook them until they are warmed and tender.
    1½ cups Chickpeas
  • In a bowl, combine warm chickpeas with some of their brine (I generally add 3-4 tablespoons of brine to 1 ½ cups of chickpeas) and all the spices and salt. Top with olive (you can mix it through too) and serve warm with an additional sprinkle of cumin. 
    ½ teaspoon Cumin, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Sweet paprika, ¼ teaspoon Red hot chili, 1 tablespoon Olive oil

Notes

The time indicated doesn't include the time it takes to soak dry chickpeas.
Balila should not be dry and is served warm.
Generally, copious amounts of olive oil are served on top, you can adjust the amount used to your liking
Copious amounts of cumin is also used, you can adjust this and all other seasoning/spices to suit.

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg