Why It Works
- Boiling the chickpeas from scratch allows you to use the flavorful broth in the final dish.
- Using a tender, flavorful cut of meat like beef or lamb loin allows you to cook it quickly—in the time it takes you to assemble the dish—with no need to braise it.
- Toasting the bread helps it retain more of its crispiness.
Fatteh is a versatile cooking technique across the Levant—Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine—and other parts of the Arab world like Egypt. Originating from the Arabic verb “fatt,” which means “to break bread and steep in liquid,” fatteh can be as simple as tossing day-old bread in lentil soup or into a salad like fattoush, which is also derived from the same word. It could also be a more elaborate preparation in which cooks soak stale bread in soup, stew, or yogurt-based dishes, then layer it with various toppings, such as chickpeas, eggplant, rice, and meat. These dishes are usually finished with a yogurt-, tahini-, tomato-, or lemon-based sauce and garnished with nuts, herbs, and spices for extra crunch and flavor.
Fatteh likely stems from both economic necessity and the availability of ingredients. Historically, grains like rice weren’t as readily accessible as wheat, making bread the primary carbohydrate for Levantine Arabs. Its widespread availability and affordability also made it an effective way of extending meals to feed more people, especially when meat was scarce and expensive, or when other foods like legumes, grains, and fresh vegetables were limited.
Even though bread remains a staple today and continues to be a way of stretching a meal for people living with food insecurity—like Palestinians under siege in Gaza today—fatteh has transcended its origins as a dish of scarcity. Instead, it is now often seen as a celebratory meal, with bread specifically prepared for the dish, ranging from toasted paper-thin slices to crispy fried pita. There are many variations that incorporate whole dishes like kafta (ground meat patties) or msakhan (Palestinian flatbreads) into the fatteh format, alongside a plethora of sauces and garnishes.
Hummus fatteh (also sometimes called fattet hummus) stands out as one of the oldest and most traditional forms of fatteh, with its preparation varying significantly across the Levant. Though its essence lies in its combination of toasted bread with a chickpea and tahini mixture, garnished with meat and pine nuts—or just pine nuts for a vegetarian option—each family has their own unique recipe. The fine details are dictated by personal preference; some incorporate actual hummus b’tahini, while others may opt for yogurt in place of tahini or use a creamy dressing made from whisking the chickpea cooking liquid and olive oil together.
The ingredients list for this dish, or any fatteh dish, might seem long at first. But a closer look reveals they’re affordable pantry staples many people keep on hand, and the dishes themselves very simple to put together: simmering chickpeas, toasting pita, whisking together creamy yogurt with tahini, whipping up a zesty lemon dressing, and finally, browning the meat. Though you don’t have to, I recommend preparing the beans from scratch, which will allow you to use the flavorful chickpea-cooking water in the dish itself. But it’s also perfectly acceptable to reheat jarred or canned chickpeas in water until boiling and use that liquid to complete the dish, too.
This recipe is how my mother makes her hummus fatteh. After years of trying different versions of the dish at restaurants or other people’s homes, hers is still my favorite way to eat and make it. It’s the quintessential Palestinian brunch meal, and you transform humble ingredients like chickpeas and pita into something truly magical when you combine them with creamy tahini, tender, bite-sized pieces of fried meat, and toasted pine nuts.
As much as I love to mop up hummus with bread, I use a spoon to eat this particular dish, where the toasted pita is at the very bottom to soak up all the sauces and juices. For a delicious vegetarian version, simply skip the meat and add some extra nuts—either more pine nuts or any combination of almonds, cashews, or pine nuts. With toasted pita, creamy chickpeas, and smooth tahini, you can always count on hummus fatteh for a contrast of soft and crunchy, warm and cool, and a satisfying savoriness that begs you to help yourself to more.
