Lebanese eggplant fatteh is a refreshing Lebanese salad filled with an array of flavors that work perfectly together. Once you make this dish, you'll return to it time and time again!
Eggplant fatteh is one of my favorite recipes. It's actually a typical Lebanese breakfast...think of it as Lebanese nachos!
Crispy baked pita is layered with roasted eggplant and lemony chickpeas. Top it all off with a vegan yogurt and tahini dressing. Garnish your eggplant fatteh with pomegranate seeds and mint for a gorgeous presentation. And, you can easily customize this recipe to suite your own tastes.
What Is Fatteh?
In Arabic the word fatteh means "crumbs". It's also known as fette, fattah or fattah. At it's heart, fatteh is a decadent salad that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Different variations of fatteh can be found from Egypt to all over the Levantine region. However, the base always remains the same - stale pita bread that has been fried or baked until it's crispy and golden. Most fatteh recipes include a garlicky yogurt dressing.
This fatteh recipe is vegan, so we'll be using eggplant and a vegan yogurt. Trust me, it tastes incredible!
Eggplant fatteh ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make vegan eggplant fatteh.
- Eggplant - One eggplant (or aubergine) is enough to make about two eggplant fattehs depending on how hungry you are. Slice it into half moon shapes for a pretty presentation.
- Olive Oil: Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil. It really makes a difference.
- Pita Bread: I've used a standard store bought pita bread in this recipe to make it more accessible, but if you can get your hands on some Lebanese flatbread at a Middle Eastern grocery store you'll be making truly authentic Fatteh. If you're wondering which breads are vegan, check out Can Vegans Eat Bread? All Your Questions Answered!.
- Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas because it's simpler, but please feel free to use freshly cooked chickpeas - just don't forget to give them an overnight soak!
- Yogurt: Choose a good quality, thick plant based yogurt. I like Alpro Coconut Yogurt.
- Tahini: Tahini quality varies greatly by brand. I've tried a few and found that Belatzu tastes the best.
- Sea Salt: I use a good quality flaky sea salt. Once you try a nice sea salt you'll never return to table salt!
- Cinnamon And Black Pepper: To balance out the sourness of yogurt.
- Lemon And Garlic: Used as a simple dressing for chickpeas for a bit of zing.
- Pomegranate Seeds And Mint: Garnish your eggplant fatteh with beautiful jewel colored pomegranate seeds and fresh mint.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Eggplant Fatteh
- Preheat your oven to 375° F (200°C). Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Chop your eggplant into triangular shaped pieces. If you want, you can smaller cube sized pieces, but you'll need to reduce the cooking time.
- Transfer your eggplant to a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Now pop them in the oven to cook for 20 minutes, or until nicely roasted.
- While your eggplant is roasting, cut your pita bread into rough triangles and put them in a bowl.
- Now, drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and minced garlic.
- Spread your pita bread out on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on them. Pita bread has a tendency to catch quickly. We want them nicely colored and crispy for the perfect traditional base to your Lebanese eggplant fatteh.
- While your eggplant and pita bread are baking, make your chickpea base. Simply mix your tinned (or homemade) chickpeas with minced garlic and lemon juice. Sprinkle with sea salt and set aside.
- Finally, mix together your vegan yogurt, tahini, cinnamon and black pepper. This is the going to be the dressing for your eggplant fatteh.
- Let's put the whole thing together. Divide your pita chips between two plates and top with a layer of roasted eggplant. Divide your lemony chickpeas between two plates, and top with the garlicky yogurt and tahini dressing. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint. Enjoy an authentic homemade Lebanese eggplant fatteh!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
Fatteh is best served immediately. The pita bread gets too soggy if it's stored in the fridge. However, if you want to prepare it in advance, simply follow the recipe and store the chickpeas, roasted eggplant and yogurt dressing in separate containers in the fridge. Store the toasted pita in an airtight container at room temperature. Then, all you need to do is assemble your fatteh and enjoy.
The pita bread is not gluten free, but the rest of the ingredients are. So, if you use gluten free pita bread, you should be good to go!
Craving More Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes?
Roasted Aloo Gobi - Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes
Healthy Mushroom Curry With Chickpeas
Easy Aubergine And Chickpea Curry
Spicy Miso Pasta With Fennel and Carrots
📖 Recipe
Vegan Eggplant Fatteh
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant rinsed, with stem cut off
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2-3 pieces pita bread ideally, Lebanese flatbread
- 3 cloves of garlic, divided
- 15 ounce can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1½ cups vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F (200°C). Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Slice the eggplant into 2cm thick half moon slices. Wash them in a colander and pat dry. Lay them out on the baking sheet and brush liberally with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping at the halfway point.
- While the eggplant is baking, cut the pita bread into small triangles and place in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 ½ tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic and sea salt and mix well. Lay the pita pieces out onto the second baking sheet. Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them as they tend to catch quickly.
- While the eggplant and pita bread are baking, drain and wash the chickpeas (if using canned). In a small bowl combine the chickpeas, lemon juice and minced garlic.
- Make the yogurt dressing by combining the yogurt, tahini, cinnamon and black pepper. Stir well.
- Divide the baked pita bread between two plates. Top each pita bread layer with a layer of roated aubergine followed by the lemony chickpeas. Top with the yogurt tahini mix and garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint. *see note 1
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 generous servings, or 3 small servings. Nutritional information is for two generous servings.
- This recipe can be made gluten free by using gluten free pita bread.
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