Balila is a rustic Lebanese chickpea salad. You can even think of it as an appetizer. With just 6 ingredients that are readily available in the pantry, you can make this healthy and nutrient dense salad in a few simple steps. We love middle eastern food at home. My daughter is a huge fan of falafels and I am not complaining one bit. When I served this salad, she loved it so much that she rated this as a 10 star recipe. That good, trust me!

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This recipe is also referred to as Hummus Balila. In Lebanese, Hummus refers to chickpeas. Traditionally, they make this salad by hydrating dried chickpeas and then cooking the chickpeas till soft and buttery.

This method is a bit time consuming. I chose to cook the hydrated chickpeas in my Instant Pot since this is easier and takes minimal effort.

Ingredients

Chickpeas

I have been using dried chickpeas for years now. Not only is it economical but also healthier since there is no added chemicals or preservatives in this. For this recipe too, I used dried chickpeas after hydrating them for 8 hours.

If you are new to the concept of hydrating legumes, I suggest that you begin by soaking them for at least 8 hours. I prefer to do this overnight. Soaking legumes have so many benefits. It makes digestion easier and reduces bloating and flatulence.

But in case you do not have dried chickpeas or you are in a pinch, then you can use canned chickpeas. To use canned chickpeas in this recipe, drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse them under water once. Cook canned chickpeas on low heat for 20 minutes until soft and buttery. More details about this have been included in the recipe card.

Garlic

This salad is a rustic dish that does not involve sophisticated chopping or prep. We will be crushing the garlic coarsely in a mortar and pestle for this dish.

Cumin

Any middle eastern dish is incomplete without this earthy spice. Apart from flavor, it also has other benefits. It helps in digestion and is a great anti-inflammatory spice. So try and include some cumin in your diet every day.

Olive oil

It is absolutely necessary to use olive oil for this salad. No other oil will work as well as some good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Lime juice

Freshly squeezed lime juice brings to this dish a freshness and fragrance that is quite impossible to resist. I love my salad a bit tangier and so I even add some extra to my own bowl.

Salt

If you are using canned chickpeas, please keep a tab on the salt you add. In case you are using dried chickpeas like me, you can add the amount of salt mentioned in the recipe card.

Serving suggestions

A good Balila should be served with all sorts of trimmings. To make this a wholesome and nutritious meal, you will need onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, lots of fresh parsley & mint along with some pita bread.

I had made some Shirazi salad the day I made this dish. So I chose to serve this with that salad and pita bread.

Recipe Notes

Hydrate the chickpeas for longer to reduce the cooking time.
Overcook the chickpeas. This dish needs them to be soft, buttery and almost melt-in-the-mouth.
Do not add salt while cooking the chickpeas. Salt does not allow the chickpeas to become soft.
It is a soupy dish. Reserve 1 cup of the water you used to cook the chickpeas, This adds a wonderful flavor to the salad. Or use plain water.
Using canned chickpeas- if you are using canned chickpeas, allow them to cook on low heat for 20 minutes until they are soft. You will need 3 to 4 cups water to cook 2 cans of canned chickpeas that have been drained.

Method

Prep the chickpeas

Wash 1.5 cups dried chickpeas in a colander. Add them to a large bowl and soak them in 6 to 8 cups water for 8 hours.

Instant Pot Chickpeas

After 8 hours, drain the chickpeas in a colander. Rinse them under water twice. Add the hydrated chickpeas to the inner pot of the instant pot. Add 6 cups water. Stir well.

Ensure that the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the Instant Pot lid. Place the inner pot into the Instant Pot. Plug in the Instant Pot and close it. Turn the VALVE TO SEALING.

PRESS PRESSURE COOK MODE- HIGH and set the timer to 20 MINUTES. Wait for the cooking cycle to complete. When done, allow the pressure to release naturally.

When the natural pressure release is complete, open the lid and reserve 1 cup of the water used for cooking the chickpeas. Now drain the remaining water and set the chickpeas aside.

Making the salad

Heat a pan with olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and toss the garlic around for 30 to 40 seconds.

Immediately, tip in the cooked chickpeas and mix well.

Add the ground cumin and salt. Stir well to combine. Add the reserved water or 1 cup of plain water.

Mash the chickpeas once or twice with a potato masher.

Cover the pan and allow to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and immediately turn off the heat. Our salad is now ready.

Canned chickpeas

Heat a pan with olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and toss for 20 to 30 secs. Drain the canned chickpeas in a colander and rinse under water once. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to the pan. Pour 1 cup water to the pan and add ground cumin and salt.

Stir well and mix. Close the pan and continue to cook for 20 minutes on low heat until the chickpeas are soft and buttery. Once done, open the pan and mash the chickpeas once or twice with a potato masher. Tip in the lemon juice and mix well. Turn off the heat immediately and serve hot.

More Chickpea Recipes

hummus balila served in a wooden bowl with pita bread and shirazi salad

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Balila

Balila or Hummus Balila is a rustic Lebanese chickpeas salad that makes for a wholesome and nutritious meal.

Prep Time8

Cook Time30

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Middle eastern

Servings:

Calories: 830kcal

Equipment

1 6 quart Instant Pot
1 Colander
1 set measuring cups and spoons
1 Pan
1 Slotted ladle

Ingredients

For soaking the chickpeas

1.5 cups dried chickpeas
6 to 8 cups water

For the Instant Pot Chickpeas

3 cups hydrated chickpeas
6 cups water

For the salad

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 crushed garlic cloves
3 cups cooked chickpeas or drained canned chickpeas please refer blog post for more details
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt or to taste
1.5 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice