Balila

Balila: Step by Step

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1. Tip the chickpeas and all their liquid into a saucepan and warm over medium heat until steaming, about 8 minutes. Do not boil hard — they break up.

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2. Crush a spoonful of the chickpeas against the side of the pan and stir them back in. This thickens the liquor.

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3. Take off the heat. Stir in the garlic, cumin, lemon, oil and salt.

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4. Let it stand 5 minutes so the garlic loses its raw edge in the residual heat.

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5. Taste and adjust the lemon; it should be noticeably sharp.

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6. Spoon into bowls with some of the liquor, scatter with parsley, finish with oil and a last pinch of cumin, and serve warm with lemon wedges.

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Things to Watch For

1. Keep the tin liquid. It is the sauce.
2. Crush a few chickpeas to thicken it.
3. Warm, not hot. Heat flattens the cumin.

Changing the Recipe

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

To Go With It

Khubz arabi · Sweet tea · Pickled turnips

Keeping Balila

Refrigerated for 3 days. Rewarm gently and add fresh lemon, which fades overnight.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. Garnishes, greasing and other items with no amount are not counted. How the figures are worked out.