We are feeling very Middle Eastern today and will dive right into a classic – fatteh! I’m putting a little spin on the classic and giving it my tough. This Eggplant Chickpea Fatteh tastes of the Arabian nights and dreams. It packs all of the delicious flavors that are authentic to the Middle Eastern cuisine and combines them into one bowl of addictive yumminess.
What Flavors Make This Eggplant Chickpea Fatteh Pop?
To bring out the full force of Middle Eastern flavors, I threw in all the iconic originals.
- Tahini: You know Middle Eastern dips and appetizers are incomplete without the sesame paste.
- Sumac: This tangy spice adds such a burst of flavor to an otherwise bland selection of ingredients.
- Chickpeas: We are all familiar with hummus (which in Arabic literally translates to chickpeas) so of course, I had to add them. You can leave them out if you just want an eggplant fatteh.
- Pomegranate Molasses: This appetizer is paired beautifully with fresh pomegranate seeds as a garnish. But since it isn’t the season yet for pomegranates, I swapped it out for pomegranate molasses instead.
- Eggplants: While not essentially Middle Eastern, eggplants make a lot of appearance in Middle Eastern cuisine. And for this recipe, it is the absolute star of the show.
Traditionally, you should deep fry your eggplants and tortilla chips. But, if you’re trying to stay away from the extra calories, baking works just as fine. Given that eggplants and bread tend to soak up a lot of oil while frying, baking them reduces your usage of oil and also the overall caloric count of the recipe.
LOOKING FOR MORE MIDDLE EASTERN RECIPES? TRY THIS BATATA HARRA!
This recipe is broken into multiple parts. It is best to prepare each part separately and then layer it all together for the final recipe.
How Many Parts Does This Eggplant Chickpea Fatteh Have?
Let’s break this recipe down for you:
- Eggplants: You have your eggplants, diced, spiced with sumac, paprika, salt and brushed in olive oil before baking for 30 minutes at 160°C.
- Chickpeas: You will need boiled chickpeas. Add a little salt, paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Yogurt Tahini Sauce: This magical sauce is made with yogurt, tahini paste, lemon and garlic. Whisk it altogether well to create a creamy base sauce for your eggplant chickpea fatteh.
- Tortilla Chips: You will need 2 tortillas, cut up into small squares. Add a dash of salt and sumac before lightly brushing or spraying with olive oil and baking for 10 minutes at 160°C.
- Nuts: Traditionally, pine nuts or walnuts are toasted and added to the face of this recipe. However, I was out of both so I swapped them for chopped walnuts instead. You’ll need some butter and paprika to toast them on a medium-high flame for 3-5 minutes.
- Garnishing: Parsley, pomegranate seeds (or molasses) and some of your tortilla chips will be the perfect garnish.
While this recipe does appear to have many many steps, it really doesn’t take that long to prepare. You might need to do an extra load in the dishwasher though.
Eggplant Chickpea Fatteh
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesKeep your device screen on
Ingredients
- For the eggplants
2 medium eggplants (diced)
2 tsp sumac
1 tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
- For the chickpeas
1 cup boiled chickpeas
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
- For the tortillas
2 tortillas (cut in squares)
1 tsp sumac
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch salt
- For the yogurt tahini sauce
2 cups yogurt
2 tbsp tahini paste
4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- For the nuts
1/2 cup pine nuts, almonds or walnuts
1/2 tsp paprika
4 tbsp butter
- Garnishing
fresh chopped parsley
pomegranate seeds or molasses
Directions
- In a bowl, toss your eggplants with the seasonings. Place on a baking sheet and bake for for 30 minutes at 160°C.
- Combine your chickpeas with their seasonings and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine your yogurt, tahini, garlic and lemon juice. Whisk well until you have a smooth and creamy sauce.
- Now, toss your tortilla pieces with their seasonings and bake for for 10 minutes at 160°C. You can bake them with the eggplants as well but make sure to keep an eye on them.
- Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add butter, paprika and your nuts of choice.
- Toast your nuts for 3-5 minutes or until they turn golden and become fragrant.
- Assembly
- In a large dish, begin assembling your eggplant chickpea fatteh. Start with a layer of crispy tortilla chips. Make sure to set some aside for the final garnish.
- Add your eggplants on top, followed by the chickpeas.
- Now pour over your yogurt tahini sauce making sure to completely cover everything.
- Add your chopped parsley and leftover tortilla chips.
- And finally, add your toasted nuts and all the butter they infused with their flavors.
