Fatteh (Crispy Pita Hummus and Yogurt)
Fatteh is a Middle Eastern/Levantine dish of crispy pita pieces mixed with chickpeas, hummus, yogurt and fresh herbs. Make this recipe for a delicious breakfast or light meal!
The Levant region covers roughly 730,000 square kilometers of land and is part of the Fertile Crescent region located in the eastern Mediterranean, which encompasses current day Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, Syria, and Turkey.(source).
As you might expect, with such a diverse group of countries, dishes in Levantine cuisine include a wide variety of ingredients and flavors from each country.
It’s believed that as ingredients were traded along the Silk Road, recipes were also transferred from one country to another.
Each country would use regional ingredients to adapt the recipe and “make it their own”. Examples of this are seen in Moroccan harissa, Lebanese batata harra , and even Mediterranean hummus.
Fatteh
Cuisine: Levantine / Middle Eastern
Believed to have originated in Egypt, it’s possible that fatteh evolved from a Pharaonic dish called fotat, which in Arabic means crumbs, or small pieces. At its most basic, the ingredients are simple; flatbread, chickpeas, fresh herbs, yogurt, and oil. As the fatteh recipe was introduced to surrounding countries, each put a unique twist on the dish.
Some versions of fatteh are made with hummus and served like a dip. In this form, it’s known as fattet. Other versions use whole chickpeas.
Fatteh is often eaten for breakfast, but it’s a really versatile dish. It is hearty enough to be served for a light meal or mezze.
Common names/spellings:
fatteh, fattet,
Pronunciation:
fah·tuh
Course:
Main, appetizer, or snack
Preparation:
Stovetop
Difficulty: Medium (for multiple steps) 🥄🥄
Total prep and cook time: 35 minutes
What fatteh tastes like
Fatteh tastes a lot like hummus, but with a bright freshness from citrus and herbs, and tanginess from yogurt.
With crispy toasted pita inside the spread, it initially reminded me of a delicious Lebanese fattoush bread salad, or a dip with the chips built right in!
Obviously though, the overall flavor of fatteh will vary based on the spices and other ingredients used.
I use both hummus and whole chickpeas in my fatteh, for a nice contrast in texture. Another unique ingredient in my version is pine nuts. They add a fantastic salty crunch to the hummus spread.
Did you know?
The word fatteh is Arabic for “crushed” or “crumbs”, and is the general term used for all versions of crumbled, toasted pita casserole.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cooked chickpeas
I keep things simple and use canned chickpeas for this recipe, but you’re welcome to cook them fresh. If you’ve never done that, check out my post on how to cook chickpeas.
- Pita bread
Traditionally, Levantine fatteh is made with khubz (pita), although any type of flatbread will work. You could even add more flavor to your spread by using zaatar bread or a Persian barbari bread.
If you have any stale or leftover pita, this recipe is a great way to use it!
- Olive oil
There is a hefty amount of oil in this dish, so for the best flavor, it’s best to use a high quality extra virgin olive oil. It would also be delicious with healthy, flavorful pure avocado oil.
- Spices and aromatic flavors
I use earthy ground sumac and cumin to season the pita, and fresh garlic and tahini for the hummus.
If you prefer, you could certainly make the hummus without tahini. In its place, substitute an equal amount of olive oil or creamy almond butter.
- Fresh herbs
I use fresh parsley, but you could use cilantro to give your fatteh a spicy bite.
- Pine nuts
If you can’t find pine nuts, toasted chopped almonds are a good substitute for pine nuts, as are toasted and chopped cashews.
Making fatteh
- Prepare the chickpeas and hummus.
Some of the chickpeas will be used for the hummus and the remainder will be kept whole to top the hummus spread.
Even though you’ll be using cooked chickpeas, you’ll simmer them for a few minutes with the cumin and slightly crushed garlic cloves. This way, they can better absorb those flavors.
I use a food processor to make the hummus. If you don’t own a food processor, you can use an immersion blender or high powered blender.
However, I find that the texture of hummus made in a regular blender tends to be less creamy.
- Tear and toast the flatbread.
It’s nearly impossible to tear a round piece of flatbread into even sized pieces. Don’t concern yourself with that; just try to keep them around 1-inch in size.
Pieces smaller than 1 inch tend to either burn in the oven or become soggy in the fatteh.
- Assemble the fatteh.
This is the fun part! To assemble your fatteh dip, add a layer of the yogurt and hummus spread into the bottom of the dish. Then just layer the other ingredients on top of it.
OR, you can do what I did, and just combine everything together in a bowl and transfer it to a serving dish.
Recipe notes and serving suggestions
For a deep, dippable fatteh, use a small 8 x 8 inch dish. Otherwise, a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish works great.
Another serving option is to place the fatteh directly on a serving plate with a side of extra toasted pita chips for dipping.
As mentioned earlier, many people enjoy it as a breakfast dish. It’s packed with protein and heart-healthy oil, plus there are options to add meat for even more protein.
It would even be delicious with a side of scrambled eggs for breakfast, or some koobideh kabob for dinner.
No matter which meal it’s served for, fatteh is sure to be a winning dish. Enjoy!
Fatteh (Crispy Pita Hummus and Yogurt)
Ingredients
Crispy Pita
- 3 pita breads about 7 ounces total
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Topping
- 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 lemons (1/4 cup juice and 2 tsp zest)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Hummus
- 3 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas three 15.5 oz cans, drained
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 cloves garlic slightly crushed (See Note 1)
- 2/3 cup Greek yogurt plain
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 tsp sumac
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or Silpat liner. Set aside.
- Add chickpeas to a saucepan and cover with 2 1/2 cups water, cumin and slightly crushed garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer; cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Tear the pita into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, cumin and salt and toss to combine. Spread on lined baking tray and toast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- In a small bowl, add and stir together parsley, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- In a small skillet over low heat, gently dry toast the pine nuts until golden brown. Set aside.
- Transfer 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas to a food processor. Add cooked garlic cloves, 7 tablespoons of cooking liquid, lemon juice, yogurt, tahini and salt. Puree until smooth.
Assembly
- To a large mixing bowl, add half of the toasted pita, 1/2 the pine nuts, 2/3 remaining warm chickpeas, and pureed hummus mixture. Gently toss to coat and combine.
- Spoon into a 9×13″ or 8×8″ dish with sides (for a deeper fatteh hummus). Top with remaining pita chips, remaining chickpeas, remaining pine nuts.
- Spoon the parsley oil over the top and sprinkle with sumac. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use the side of a chef’s knife or garlic press to lightly crush the garlic cloves.
- Recipe adapted from Falastin.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Just to be historically accurate, there is no Palestine today, nor has there been for over 70 years.
This site is all about diversity and trying different culture’s foods. It is not political and never will be.
Kevin, you actually made the discussion political by referring to a country that does not exist as though it currently existed. It doesn’t.
STOP.