Balilah is a simple, beloved chickpea snack of the Hejaz, the western region of Mecca and Jeddah, commonly sold as street food and served at Ramadan iftar. Cooked chickpeas are dressed simply with cumin, salt, vinegar or lemon, oil, and sometimes onion and chili. It is the lightest of the Ramadan iftar openers, a palate-wake before the heavier dishes, and it reflects the Hejazi urban street-food culture.
Warm, tender chickpeas in a bright, tangy, cumin-forward dressing, the oil giving body, a sharpness from the vinegar. Eaten in small cups at iftar, it is light, savoury and the perfect fast-breaking bite.
The chickpeas are cooked until tender (or canned, drained and warmed), then dressed hot with cumin, salt, vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and optionally chopped onion and chili. The cumin is the defining spice; the acid brightens. The dish is assembled at the last minute and eaten warm. Its simplicity is the point; the chickpea quality carries it.
Variations
A spicier version adds green chili. Some add chopped tomato and parsley.
On the Palate
Where Balilah sits in the Saudi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
6 steps · 10 min
- 15 min
Cook 400g chickpeas in water until tender (or use 2 cans, drained and warmed).
- 23 min
In a bowl, whisk 3 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp cumin, half tsp salt and black pepper.
- 33 min
Toss the warm chickpeas in the dressing.
Watch outDress the chickpeas while they're still warm so they drink in the cumin dressing — dress them cold and the flavor just sits on the surface.
- 43 min
Add 1 finely chopped onion and 1 chopped green chili if liked.
- 52 min
Taste and adjust salt and vinegar.
- 62 min
Serve warm in small cups, with toothpicks or spoons.
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