Eggplant Fatteh (Fattet Batinjan)

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Eggplant Fatteh (Fattet Batinjan)

A layered Lebanese fatteh of crispy pita, warm chickpeas, and pomegranate-glazed roasted eggplant, topped with a tangy yogurt tahini sauce and sizzling buttery toasted nuts.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Lebanese, levantine, Middle Eastern

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 678kcal

Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

Yogurt tahini sauce

1 cup plain yogurt (or plain vegan kefir yogurt for the vegan option)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
1 tablespoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Water to thin

For the bread

1½ Lebanese pita bread or any pita bread

Eggplant

1 medium eggplant about 500g / 1.1lb, cut into 2cm / ¾-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil or up to ¼ cup if frying instead of roasting
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

For the chickpeas

1 can Chickpeas 400g / 15oz, drained and rinsed
1 Pinch Salt

To finish

⅛ cup pine nuts
⅛ cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon butter (dairy-free for vegan option)
1 tablespoon olive oil for toasting nuts
Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Sweet paprika for garnish
Sumac for garnish
Pomegranate arils for garnish

Instructions

Whisk together yogurt, tahini, crushed garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Add water gradually until smooth and pourable. Set aside.
1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup Water
Oven: place the pita breads on a lined baking sheet, and bake at 220°C (425°F) until golden and crisp, flipping halfway, about 7 minutes total.
Frying: heat oil (¼ cup) in a large pan over medium heat, add the torn bread, and fry until golden and crisp on all sides. Remove immediately to a paper-lined plate.
1½ Lebanese pita bread
Oven: toss the eggplant with oil and salt, spread on the same lined pan used for the bread, and roast for 25 minutes, turning halfway.
Frying: reheat the remaining oil over medium-high heat, add the eggplant, and fry until deeply golden and tender. Toss immediately with the pomegranate molasses while still warm.
1 medium eggplant, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Over high heat, bring the chickpeas, pinch of salt and 2 cups of water to a gentle boil in a small pan, then reduce to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove any loose skins.
1 can Chickpeas, 1 Pinch Salt
Break the crisp bread into bite sized pieces and layer them on a deep serving platter. Top with the warm chickpeas and 3-4 tablespoons of the warm chickpea water, then the pomegranate-glazed eggplant. Whisk 2 tablespoons of warm chickpea water into the yogurt tahini sauce and pour generously over the top (I serve about a third of the sauce on the side, see notes). Garnish with parsley, sumac, paprika, and pomegranate arils.
Sweet paprika, Sumac, Pomegranate arils, Fresh parsley
Heat butter and olive oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Toast the pine nuts and almonds until golden, watching closely, they burn fast. Stir continuously.
⅛ cup pine nuts, ⅛ cup slivered almonds, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pour the nuts over the fatteh along with the sizzling butter and oil. Serve immediately while the bread is still crisp.

Video

Notes

Serving: I serve about a third of the yogurt tahini sauce on the side rather than pouring it all over, it can be a lot, and it lets everyone add more if they want.
Swaps: Use gluten-free pita to make this gluten free. Use a dairy-free kefir yogurt for the vegan version.
Storage: Fatteh doesn't hold up once assembled. Store the components separately (bread, chickpeas, sauce, eggplant, nuts) and assemble just before serving. But if there are leftovers, I recommend eating it within 2-3 days.
Sourcing: Canned chickpeas work fine here, rinse and simmer them to soften further if you don't have time to cook dried.

Nutrition