Balila – Warm Spiced Chickpeas with homemade cooked chickpeas

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade cooked chickpeas ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water.

   Bowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Drain, cover with plenty of unsalted water and cook 1.5–2 hours, skimming off the foam and skins from time to time, until the chickpeas are very soft and crush easily between your fingers.

   ColanderStovePot

   💡Fully cooked chickpeas crush between your fingers with no resistance at all. Chickpeas that stay a little firm make a grainy spread, and no amount of tahini will fix it.
3. 3
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Hot Topping

1. 4
   Heat the water in a pot, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

   StovePot
2. 5
   Add the ful and the cumin, the turmeric, some of the paprika and the chili pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

   Stove
3. 6
   Mash the grains slightly.
4. 7
   Season with salt.
5. 8
   Transfer into serving bowls and top with the olive oil and rest of the paprika.