Balela

If you are like me and love tabbouleh or any refreshing salad suitable for hot days then you willl fall in love with this one. It resembles tabbouleh very much but I have never been able to find any reference to its origin. It could have been created by somebody simply dumping a can of garbanzo bean in a bowl of tabbouleh by mistake for what I know. I have done things like that in the past and some of the unintended concoctions actually tasted great! My view is: who cares! Balela is nicely refreshing and also filling. So, of if you have nothing else to eat but some bread, possibly pita or similar, you are in great company! Enjoy this wonderful balela.

Balela

• 1 (15 oz or 420 g) cans organic black beans, rinsed well, drained and blotted
• 1 (15 oz or 420 g) cans organic garbanzo beans, rinsed well, drained and blotted
• 1 cup chopped green onion or 1/2 chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Dressing Ingredients

• freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons 
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper

1.  Remove husks from chick peas by rinsing them very vigorously in a colander to loosen     the husks by gently squeezing them between two fingers.

2.  While beans are draining, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and let the flavour blend.

3.  Mix the salad ingredients together and let it marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

4.  Chop green onions, tomatoes and parsley and add to bowl. Combine this with the beans.

5.  Whisk dressing ingredients and gently add dressing to bean mixture.

6.  Add salt and pepper.

Balela should be tangy; add more lemon juice as needed.

 

Balela

1 puszka (420 g) cieciorki, dobrze wyplukanej, osaczonej i osuszonej

1 puszka (420 g) czarnej fasoli dobrze wyplukanej, osaczonej i osuszonej

1 szkl. siekanej zielonej cebulki 1/2 szkl. siekanej czerwonej cebuli

1 szkl. pomidorow posiekanych na kostke

1 szkl. pietruszki siekanej

 

Dressing

swiezy sok z 2 cytryn

1/2 lyzeczki siekanego czosnku

4 lyzki oliwki EVOO

1/2 lyzeczki soli

pieprz

 

1. Usunac oslonki z cieciorki poprzez spryskanie jej na sicie ostrym strumieniem wody, tak by luski sie poluzowaly i delikatnie scisnac kazde ziarenko palcami, az luska zejdzie.
2. W czasie gdy fasola sie osacza, wynmieszac sok z cytryny, oliwke i czosnek i odstawic.
3. Wymieszac wszystkie skladniki salatki i odstawic do "przegryzienia sie " na 30 minut.
4. Dodac posiekana zielona cebulke, pomidory i pietruszke i dodoac do pozostalych skladnikow.
5. Ubic dressing i delikatnie wmieszac go do salatki.
6. Dodac sol i pieprz.
7. Balela powinna byc dosc kwaskowa, cytrynowa. Dodac wiecej soku z cytryny w razie potrzeby