Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
A brown plate of creamed chickpeas topped with chopped parsley
Print Recipe
5 from 40 votes

Musabaha

Musabaha is a traditional Middle Eastern breakfast dish made with warm chickpeas swimming in creamy sour and pungent dressing, then finished with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time17 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: Lebanese, Levant, Middle Eastern
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 162kcal
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • 1 can Chickpeas see note 1
  • 2 cups Fresh water for tenderizing the chickpeas
  • 1 clove Garlic crushed
  • ⅛ cup Tahini
  • ½ small Lemon freshly squeezed
  • ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
  • ¼ cup Cooking water aquafaba - chickpea water
  • 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil or to taste
  • 1 handful Fresh parsley leaves chopped

Instructions

  • Drain and rinse the chickpeas with water. Transfer them to a medium saucepan filled with fresh water and bring to a soft boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let them simmer for about 15 minutes until tender. Turn off the heat, tilt the saucepan to remove any floating skins. Drain the chickpeas, reserving at least ¼ cup of the cooking water and set aside a spoonful of whole tender chickpeas for garnish.
    1 can Chickpeas, 2 cups Fresh water
    enderized chickpeas in a pot of water with the skins being removed with a fork
  • In a bowl, combine salt, garlic, and lemon juice, mixing until well combined and the salt has dissolved.
    1 clove Garlic, ½ small Lemon, ½ teaspoon Salt
    lemon juice, cruched garlic and salt in a glass bowl
  • Add the chickpeas, cooking water, and tahini, mashing until they reach a semi-chunky consistency (smooth with some texture). Taste and adjust salt and lemon as needed. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh parsley leaves, and a sprinkle of whole cooked chickpeas. Serve warm. See serving suggestions below.
    ⅛ cup Tahini, ¼ cup Cooking water, 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil, 1 handful Fresh parsley leaves
    a hand with a fork mashing chickpeas in a lemon tahini sauce

Video

Notes

Note 1 - whilst canned chickpeas are cooked, they tend to be too firm for making musabaha, hence why it is important to simmer them. You can optionally add a pinch of baking soda to the water whilst simmering.
Ingredients can be adjusted to suit your taste.
Some people like to add a bit of yogurt (start with a tablespoon) which is mixed through the warm chickpeas. This can be referred to as laban ma hummus, which means yogurt with chickpeas.
Serving Suggestion 
Usually served at breakfast time with other foods like tomato and onion manakeesh, or warm pita bread (or Lebanese bread) which serves as the perfect scoop for enjoying musabaha. It's traditionally accompanied by a fresh plate of vegetables, including fresh mint, tomato, radish, pickled turnip (known as lifit), olives, pickled green chili, and pickled snake cucumbers.
Other Lebanese recipes similar to this one you might enjoy include this salad with chickpeas .

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg