Fattet Hummus
Fattet hummus is a dish with many regional variations from Lebanon to Jordan to Egypt to Eritrea, but at its heart is always broken stale pita bread (Fatteh) and chickpeas (hummus). It is often eaten on the weekend for breakfast in the Levant, but it also makes for a quick and easy option for dinner. Adding fried ground meat or even the meat from a store bought roasted chicken can make this recipe heartier, but it works great as a vegetarian dish too!
This version sticks closer to the Syrian and Jordanian style, with whole chickpeas, stale pita, yogurt, and tahini. Toppings are traditionally toasted pine nuts and parsley, but you can get creative and use anything that tickles your fancy. Some ideas are fresh chopped herbs, pomegranate seeds, dried fruit, toasted nuts, caramelized onions, chickpeas, sumac, chili flakes, za’atar, honey, flaky salt, olive oil, ghee, or brown butter. Apply the toppings artfully and create your own masterpiece!
- Prep Time20 min
- Cook Time1 hr
- Total Time1 hr 20 min
- Ready in80 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight
- or
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 large stale pitas or 4 small
- 2 cups plain yogurt (not Greek)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/8 cup toasted slivered almonds
- 1/8 cup toasted shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper or other chili flakes
- Flaky salt
Preparation
On the Night Before
Put dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak overnight.
You can skip this step if using canned chickpeas.
For the Fattet Hummus
If using dried chickpeas: Drain the soaked chickpeas and dump into a pot.
Cover with water and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 1 hour.
Add yogurt, garlic, tahini, a pinch of salt, and lemon juice to a large bowl and mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot chickpea water to warm up the mixture.
Tear or cut the pitas into 1″x1″ or 2cmx2cm chunks.
Lay down bread evenly onto a large serving platter or casserole dish.
Ladle out about 1 cup of hot chickpea water (or heated plain water or chicken stock if using canned) and pour over the bread, stirring it in and soaking it.
Drain chickpeas and pour over the bread, reserving a handful for garnish if so desired.
Add the yogurt mixture and gently fold together all of the ingredients with a spatula or spoon. Add more yogurt if the mixture seems too dry.
Heat butter up in a small frying pan and cook until brown and toasty.
Smooth out top of yogurt/chickpea/bread mixture and drizzle over browned butter.
Top with toasted nuts, fresh herbs, reserved chickpeas, spices, and flaky salt in an artful manner.
Use a large spoon to serve onto individual plates or bowls. Enjoy!
