Eggplant Fatteh
This easy eggplant fatteh is the dish you make to impress your guests. It is always loved, whether it is a side on a Middle Eastern brunch spread or a vegetarian side dish to dinner. It looks beautiful, tastes delicious, is layered with flavors and textures, and comes together quickly.
You get crunch from the toasted pita chips, creaminess from the yogurt tahini sauce, which is loaded with garlic and lemon, and a meaty umami flavor and texture from the roasted eggplant. All of this together makes a delicious bite of food. Once you give this a try, you will be hooked!
I love this dish because you can get away with baking your pita and eggplant instead of traditionally frying them. I personally don’t fry food; I never liked the smell or mess, and of course, it isn’t the best for you. I have always preferred roasting, baking, and/or air-frying as a healthier, more convenient alternative.
How to make Eggplant Fatteh:
While some fatteh recipes include meat, this version is vegetarian. Honestly, you will not even miss it here. The roasted eggplant mimics a meaty texture and is so flavorful and tender. To start, you prepare the eggplant by peeling into zebra stripes and cutting it into 1-inch cubes that you season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil. Toss and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until softened and golden brown.
While baking, prep the pita chips by splitting your pita in half and cutting each half into 1-inch squares. Toss in olive oil and salt, then bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes with the eggplant.
Meanwhile, whip together the yogurt sauce, which is plain yogurt mixed with tahini paste, lemon juice, salt, and crushed garlic. Water is used to thin out this mixture to make it more pourable.
Lastly, prepare the garnishes, chopped parsley, pomegranate arils, and toasted nuts in ghee.
To assemble, layer the toasted pita chips topped with warm eggplant bites, top with the yogurt sauce, and garnish with the warm ghee, nuts, and fresh parsley.
*If you want to add meat, cook 1/2 lb of ground beef seasoned with allspice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drizzle in some pomegranate molasses too, and add that beef layer after the eggplant layer. I also have a chicken fatteh on the blog worth checking out, especially if you have leftover chicken; its a great option. If you want another vegetarian option, check out my Fattet Hummus recipe in my cookbook, Dine in Palestine. That is the most traditional variety of fatteh and a breakfast staple!
How to prepare Eggplant Fatteh ahead of time:
Components of this eggplant fatteh can also be made ahead of time, making it a time saver and great for gatherings.
The pita chips can be made ahead of time and kept in an airtight container to maintain their crunch.
The yogurt tahini sauce can also be made in advance and keeps well for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge. It will thicken as it cools, so you may have to loosen it with a drizzle of water before serving.
Although the eggplant can be roasted and stored ahead of time, it would need to be warmed before serving. This is typically the one thing I make fresh the day.
I would love to hear your thoughts when you try this vegetarian eggplant fatteh recipe. Please leave a rating and review below. If you want to share your creations with me, send them to my Instagram page; I would love to see them!
Eggplant Fatteh
Ingredients
Eggplant Preperation
- 1 Large Eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup Olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
Pita Preparation
- 2 Pitas, split in half, each half cut into 1 inch squares Pita is 8 inch in size. You will be left with 4 pita halves. Each will be cut into squares.
- 1/4 cup Olive oil You may need a bit more but start with 1/4 cup.
- 1 tsp Salt
Yogurt Tahini Sauce Preparation
- 1.5 cups Plain Yogurt
- 1/2 cup Tahini Paste
- 4 Garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 Large Lemon's juice
- Salt to taste
Garnish
- Parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1/4 cup Slivered Almonds or pine nuts
- 1/4 cup Pomegranate Arils, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Toss the eggplant in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Make sure the eggplant is well-coated and avoid over-crowding the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and tender.
- At the same time, prep the pita chips by cutting the pita, tossing it in olive oil and salt and bake for 10-15 minutes until browned and crisp. Make sure they are in a flat layer and not overcrowded in the pan.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by adding the yogurt to a bowl and whipping it a few times until creamy smooth. To this, add the tahini paste, fresh lemon juice, fresh crushed garlic, and salt. Thin it out with drizzle of water until it is creamy thick yet pourable.
- Toast the slivered almonds in ghee in a pan until lightly browned. Ghee has a lot of flavor that works well with this eggplant fatteh. You can use olive oil instead if you don't have any on hand.
- To assemble, add a layer of pita chips in your desired serving dish followed by a layer of roasted eggplant. Top that off with the creamy yogurt sauce. Garnish with the toasted nuts and metled ghee over the top. Finish it off with fresh parsley and poemrganate arils (optional).
- Enjoy right away!
Made it for breakfast today and my husband ate the whole thing! Thank you for this great and easy recipe.
My absolute pleasure!