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DISH RESEARCH · Breakfast

Balila

Also known as: بليلة

Brothy chickpeas with garlic, cumin, lemon and olive oil.

Balila — illustrative food image

About Balila

Zena Hassoun’s Lebanese-style balila is a brothy chickpea dish associated with Levantine breakfast and mezze. Her dried-chickpea version is finished with lemon, olive oil and parsley, with pita and fresh vegetables alongside.

Garlic and cumin give the broth its savoury aroma, balanced by lemon’s acidity and the richness of extra-virgin olive oil. Optional pine nuts add a nutty topping, while shatta offers extra heat.

The chickpeas are very tender and beginning to break down into their broth. Served hot in bowls, they retain a soft, creamy texture with fresh parsley at the surface.

Allergens in this recipe

Contains: Wheat (gluten).

Optional additions: Pine nuts.

Other allergen details are unconfirmed.

Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.

Explore ingredients See countries & cuisines

Ingredients in Balila

Zena Hassoun’s Lebanese-style balila with dried chickpeas.

Ingredient details & uncertainties

Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.

  • Dried chickpeas: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Named dried branch112/132 selected over canned.
  • Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit chickpea cooking/top-up132–133 and conditional reheating83. Overnight soaking/rinsing medium unreported; not asserted as separate explicit allocation.
  • Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Cumin: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Broth and finishing uses consolidated.
  • Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Lemon juice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Extra-virgin olive oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Narrative44 establishes EVOO; broth/finishing and optional pine-nut toasting134 consolidated.
  • Flat-leaf parsley: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual preferred form45; optional replacement herbs not selected.
  • Pine nuts (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Pine nuts source-confirmed. Chosen optional nut120 over slivered almonds; toasting oil included separately.
  • Shatta (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Optional narrative heat52; full chilli-paste formula unprovided.
  • Pita bread: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Wheat (gluten) source-confirmed. Named pita branch128, full dough formula unprovided.; Ingredient page link pending verification or catalogue review
  • Cucumber: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Named fresh vegetable35/80/86.
  • Tomatoes: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Named fresh vegetable35/80/86.
  • Palestinian salad (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. One optional salad suggestion87 selected over red-onion-and-tomato salad; full linked formula not used or reconstructed.
  • Syrian baba ganoush (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. One optional named dip88 selected over beet mutabal; full exact compound formula unprovided, no assumed tahini/yogurt.
  • Galayet bandora (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Optional named sautéed-tomato companion89; full seasoning/fat formula unprovided.

Origins & food traditions

Countries

Cuisines & regions

AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.

Sources & references
  1. Zena Hassoun’s Lebanese-style balila with dried chickpeas