The main difference between msabbaha and hummus is the texture. In contrast with hummus, the chickpeas here remain whole. Like hummus, it is eaten with fresh pita bread.
The base of the dish is balila: warm cooked chickpeas in their own water with a little added cumin, chopped parsley and lemon juice. Pine nuts fried in olive oil or samneh (clarified butter) are sometimes poured over the balila. Other ingredients include tahini and minced garlic.