Chickpea Fatteh (Crispy Pita, Chickpeas and Yogurt)
Updated May 26, 2025
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 40 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE PITA CHIPS
4 ounces pita bread (about 2 pita), cut into ¾-inch squares
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
FOR THE CHICKPEAS AND HUMMUS (SEE TIPS)
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Fine sea salt
¼ cup tahini
FOR THE GARLIC SAUCE
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1 green chile, such as jalapeño, serrano or Anaheim, seeded and roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (regular or Greek)
2 teaspoons tahini
½ to 1 very small garlic clove, finely grated
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE TOPPINGS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered almonds
1 tablespoon butter (if making the meat topping)
½ pound boneless beef or lamb (optional); preferably a tender cut such as sirloin, fillet or ribeye, cut into small bite-size cubes
Pomegranate seeds (optional), for garnish
Chopped parsley or other herbs (optional), for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings as a main course)
70 grams carbs; 54 milligrams cholesterol; 829 calories; 22 grams monosaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 49 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 17 grams fiber; 957 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 13 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the pita chips: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss pita squares with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool. (Pita chips can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container.)
- Step 2
Make the simmered chickpeas: Place the chickpeas into a small saucepan and add enough water to cover by about an inch. Add the cumin and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil on medium heat. Lower to a bare simmer until ready to serve.
- Step 3
Next, make the garlic sauce: Use an immersion blender or mini food processor to purée the lemon juice, garlic, green chile and salt, then stir in the oil. (Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle or a chef’s knife to mash or finely chop the garlic, green chile and salt, then stir in the lemon juice and olive oil.)
- Step 4
To make the hummus, using a slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup of the simmered chickpeas to a large liquid measuring cup (if using the immersion blender) or to a mini food processor. Add tahini, ¼ cup of the warm cooking liquid from the chickpeas, 2 teaspoons of the garlic sauce and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, with a thin spreadable consistency that is slightly looser than traditional hummus. If it appears too thick, add more of the chickpea cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Step 5
Make the yogurt sauce: Stir together the yogurt, tahini, garlic and salt in a small bowl until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- Step 6
Right before assembling, prepare the toppings: Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium and toast the pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. If making the meat topping, melt the butter in the same pan, add the beef and cook over medium-high, stirring, until cooked through and just starting to brown, 3 to 5 to minutes.
- Step 7
To assemble, spread the pita chips on a serving platter. Spoon half of the garlic sauce on top. Using a slotted spoon, drain the remaining chickpeas well and scatter over the pita. Spread the hummus on top, then spoon on the yogurt sauce. If you’ve made the meat topping, add it now, along with the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and herbs, if using. Finish with the remaining garlic sauce. Serve immediately.
If using thick pita bread, split into two halves before cutting into squares. You could also replace the pita bread with flour tortillas or roti, or, in a real pinch, use store-bought pita chips. (If using pita chips, there’s no need to toast.)
If you're short on time, you can use store-bought hummus, though results will vary depending on the brand’s flavor and quality. In that case, omit one can of chickpeas. Many versions of chickpea fatteh omit the hummus layer and instead increase the tahini in the yogurt sauce. The flavor difference is subtle. To omit the hummus, adjust the yogurt sauce as follows: Increase the tahini to ¾ cup, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and use an additional ½ teaspoon salt.
Private Notes
Comments
I adore fatteh and have consumed entire tins of chickpeas at a time after preparing it. I like to add some rubbed mint and sumac to the yogurt topping. I find pounding the garlic with a mortar and pestle improves the garlic flavour. I make the version that omits the separate hummus layer and includes tahini and garlic in the yogurt. I also opt for toasting almonds (instead of pine nuts) in olive oil. Drizzling that over the top to finish the dish is extremely appetizing. For those who medically require a gluten-free version, substituting toasted pieces of corn tortillas for the toasted pita works quite well.
Repurposing leftovers is one of my favorite kitchen puzzles and key to my zero waste food philosophy. This riff will join my takes on Mexican food profile Migas (stale corn and flour tortillas, onions, chiles, enchilada sauce, scrambled eggs, cheese…) and infinite Bowl riffs that mimic Fatteh’s formula of something carb, something tangy, and something crunchy, to keep company with even the smallest dollops of any combination of leftovers from my kitchen or a restaurant’s.
ES, that sounds delicious! The Lebanese restaurant in my new neighborhood serves fatteh with a choice of eggplant, chicken, or lamb. I’ll order it on my next visit!
In Egypt the fatta is usually lamb shanks with tomato and/or vinegar sauce but also has the rice and bread chips. The Lebanese yogurt/chickpea version was a treat when going out to a Lebanese restaurant. Love both versions
I hear from others -- although I have not yet tried it -- that this gluten-free pita recipe is excellent. https://theloopywhisk.com/2023/10/21/easy-gluten-free-pita-bread/
This was great but next time I would quadruple the garlic sauce. I didn’t think the recipe was very clear about portioning it out so I had none for the top layer I’m looking forward to making this for the holidays—with herbs and pomegranate seeds, it looks quite festive!