Fatteh Hummus is a Lebanese layered breakfast dish where garlic-flavoured yoghurt is poured over warm chickpeas sitting on a bed of crispy toasted pita. Served topped with olive oil fried pine nuts and fresh parsley.
We enjoy Fattet Hummus because it is Crunchy, Creamy, Soft, and Nutty with bare minimum ingredients that are easily available. Though the title is Fatteh Hummus, my recipe today includes chicken. This is optional but recommended if you plan to serve it as brunch.
If you love toasted pita, you should try my Horaa Osbao recipe that is topped with this crunchy treat.
What is Fatteh Hummus?
Fatteh means crumbs or "to tear into small pieces", referring to the process of tearing the flatbread. Hummus is Arabic for chickpeas and so contrary to the popular assumption it does not always refer to the world-famous dip by the same name. On the restaurant menus, you will find this dish as Fattet hummus, Hummus fatteh, Fateh hummus etc.
Fatteh is usually served for breakfast or brunch but it is great even for lunch or dinner. There are different kinds depending on the ingredient used. For example, Fatteh Dejaj is with chicken, Fatteh al-betenjane is with eggplants, etc.
Family tradition
I first came across Fattet Hummus in the book, "Everyday Lebanese Cooking" by Mona Hamdeh while in Yanbu, Saudi and it became our favourite meal. Our tradition with this dish is kinda cheesy. We sit together on the couch, while he holds the dish and we eat off from the same bowl with two spoons while watching a movie. The best way to end the weekend but the worst way to eat! 😝
Let's look at how I make Fatteh hummus.
Ingredients
- pita bread - any kind.
- chickpeas: You may use dried or canned chickpeas.
- chicken- This is optional. I have used boneless and skinless, boiled or roasted, or any leftover chicken. If you plan not to use chicken then increase the chickpeas quantity.
- yoghurt: Unflavoured. Good old plain yoghurt is best.
- garlic
- tahini - optional but highly recommended
- cumin powder or sumac
- pine nuts - you may use sliced or slivered almonds
- extra virgin olive oil
- parsley leaves - may replace with coriander or mint
How to make it?
The best part of this dish is you don't have to strictly follow the measurements! They are there just as a guideline. The five main components are toasted pita, cooked chickpeas, cooked chicken, fried pine nuts and yoghurt sauce. Keep each one ready and only assemble close to serving time.
Don’t layer the ingredients until ready to serve.
Prepare the yoghurt by adding all the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk until smooth with a fork or small hand whisk. Taste and adjust as per your liking.
Split and tear 2 pita bread into small pieces and then toast until brown. You may toast on the stove or oven until crispy. Spread the crispy toasted pita pieces as the base of a bowl or casserole.
Warm up the chickpeas (you may pan roast just before assembling) and spoon them over the crispy toasted pita pieces.
OPTIONAL: Place the shredded chicken pieces over the chickpeas. You can use any leftover chicken kebabs, rotisserie chicken, etc.
Pour the prepared yoghurt sauce all over the top covering the chicken and chickpeas. Some recipes call for warming up the yoghurt sauce in the same pan where you fried the pine nuts to add flavour and warmth to the dish. But I have never tried that nor the book mentioned so feel free to do either way.
Fry the pine nuts or slivered almonds in olive oil and pour it over the top along with the oil. Sprinkle some parsley leaves and cumin powder.
Fatteh Hummus w Dejaj is ready to serve. Serve immediately. The above picture was when I did not have pine nuts or fresh parsely, it still was yumm!
📖 Recipe
Hummus Fatteh
Ingredients
For the yoghurt sauce
- 1 teaspoon tahini optional but recommended
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1½ cup yoghurt whisked
- 1 pinch cumin powder or sumac
- salt to taste
For the Fatteh layers
- 2 pita bread torn and toasted
- 1 cup boiled chickpeas see notes
- 300 grams boneless chicken cooked and shredded (optional, add more chickpeas if you are not using chicken)
For the garnish
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts or slivered almonds
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- fresh parsley chopped finely
Instructions
Prepare the yoghurt sauce
- Add all the sauce ingredients (tahini, garlic, yoghurt, cumin and salt) to a bowl and whisk until smooth with a fork or small hand whisk. Taste and adjust as per your liking.
Prepare the pita chips
- Split and tear 2 pita bread into small pieces and then toast on the stove or oven until crispy brown. You may just use your hands and tear up but if you are like me and want even looking neat pieces, then use a scissor. I shared a video on Instagram that you can watch on highlights - Prep Pita.
Prep the chicken (optional)
- If you plan not to use chicken then increase the chickpeas quantity. You may pan-roast the chicken breasts or boil them in water with some whole spices. Whichever method you do, ensure to shred them with your hands. You may also use any leftover chicken kebabs, rotisserie chicken, etc.
Assemble the Fatteh
- Spread the crispy toasted pita pieces in the base of a bowl or casserole.
- Warm up the chickpeas (you may pan roast just before assembling) and spoon them over the crispy toasted pita pieces.
- Place the shredded chicken pieces covering the chickpeas. Pour the prepared yoghurt sauce all over the top.
- Sprinkle some parsley and cumin powder or sumac.
- Fry the pine nuts or chopped up almonds in olive oil and pour it over the top along with the oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You may lightly roast the chickpeas with zaatar in some olive oil.
- You may add some sumac to the yoghurt sauce.
- You may add sumac and lightly roast the shredded chicken
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!