Balila Breakfast Bowl
Creamy chickpeas simmered with garlic and cumin, topped with a runny egg and warm pita bread. A hearty Lebanese comfort breakfast that comes together in 25 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 398
- Protein
- 16g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cans (15 oz each) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 eggs large eggs
- 2 pieces pita bread
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1
Mince the 3 garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 2
Roughly chop the fresh parsley by gathering it into a small bunch and slicing crosswise into 0.5-inch pieces with a chef's knife.
- 3
Drain and rinse the 1.5 cans of chickpeas in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for 15 seconds.
- 4
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a medium saucepan and place it over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 5
Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and stir constantly for 30 seconds until it smells strongly fragrant and the pieces just begin to turn light golden.
- 6
Stir the 1 teaspoon of ground cumin into the garlic and oil for 15 seconds until the mixture is very aromatic and evenly coated.
- 7
Add the drained chickpeas to the pan and stir for 30 seconds until they are coated with the oil and spices.
- 8
Pour in 0.5 cup of water and stir once to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes until the liquid reduces by half and the chickpeas soften slightly.
- 9
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice — the mixture should smell bright and taste balanced between savory and tangy.
- 10
While the chickpeas simmer, wrap the 2 pieces of pita bread in a clean kitchen towel and warm them in a 350°F oven or in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until soft and pliable.
- 11
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 60 seconds.
- 12
Crack both eggs into the skillet and cook for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until the whites are set and opaque but the yolks still jiggle slightly when you tilt the pan.
- 13
Divide the warm chickpea mixture between two bowls, pouring the liquid and chickpeas evenly.
- 14
Carefully slide one cooked egg on top of each bowl of chickpeas, centering it so the yolk sits in the middle.
- 15
Scatter the chopped parsley over the top of each bowl in a thin, even layer.
- 16
Pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper over each bowl, then serve immediately with the warm pita bread on the side for scooping.
Tools you’ll need
- fine-mesh strainer
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- medium saucepan with lid
- wooden spoon
- non-stick skillet (10-inch)
- spatula
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- two serving bowls
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
