Fatteh is a Levantine dish of crispy pita 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, including Egypt and the Middle Eastern countries of Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and the State of Palestine. (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

This flavorful dish is originally from Palestine. 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

1. 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.

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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.

2. 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.

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3. 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.

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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!