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Published: May 18, 2019. Modified: Feb 8, 2024 by Wafa Shami. This post may contain affiliate links.

Eggplant Fatteh

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

Eggplant Fatteh is a delicious Middle Eastern dish that consists of layers of fried or grilled eggplants and crunchy bread, topped with a garlicky tangy yogurt sauce and then garnished with toasted nuts. 

This dish is one of my favorite family recipes, it is so easy to prepare and the combination of the flavors is incredibly delicious.

Eggplant fatteh with sprinkled toasted almonds and pine nuts on top, and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley

Eggplant fatteh is so flavorful and satisfying, this dish can be served as a side dish for your party gatherings or as lunch or dinner for your family. 

Different variations of fatteh would include chicken fatteh, and the most popular vegetarian option is hummus fatteh.

For more Palestinian recipes try my warak dawali, or chicken musakhan.

Jump to:
  • What is Fatteh?
  • Equipment
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • What Can I Prepare Ahead of Time?
  • Substitution and Variation
  • Pro Tips
  • FAQ
  • More Delicious Recipes
  • Eggplant Fatteh

What is Fatteh?

Fatteh is a popular Middle Eastern dish that typically consists of layers of bread, topped with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables, legumes, yogurt, and spices. It is commonly served as a main course.

The word fatteh translates to "crumbs” or "broken pieces" in Arabic, referring to the use of bread in the dish. The bread is either toasted or fried until crispy or soaked with broth mixed in garlic and lemon juice. Normally, bread is the base layer of any fatteh dish.

To assemble fatteh, the bread is placed at the bottom of a serving dish, followed by the chosen toppings such as meat, vegetables, or legumes. Then sprinkle with toasted nuts.

There are different variations of fatteh including chicken fatteh, and the most popular vegetarian option is hummus fatteh, a favorite to many.

Fatteh offers a harmonious combination of textures and flavors, making it a satisfying and delicious meal option.

Equipment

This post may contain affiliate links.

Pot - For cooking onions and meat

Baking Sheet – to bake bread and eggplants

Serving Platter - to hold all layers for serving fatteh.

Ingredients

Eggplant Fatteh Ingredients: Eggplant, yogurt, ground meat, garlic, onion, spices, salt, lemon, olive oil, tomato paste, water, tahini paste, bread and nuts.
  • Eggplants - Large black eggplants are good for this recipe.
  • Flatbread – Any type of flatbread can work.
  • Ground Meat - I like to use lamb, but beef can work too, or a mixture of both.
  • Plain Yogurt - Whole milk plain yogurt.
  • Tahini Paste - Look for a good quality Tahini paste, I recommend any Arabic brand that can be found at a Middle Eastern grocery store.
  • Lemon juice – Gives a tangy taste once mixed with yogurt.
  • Garlic Cloves – Garlic gives this recipe a great flavor.
  • Spices - Allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon to give the meat a flavor.
  • Sea salt
  • Tomato Paste - Provides an additional flavorful taste to this dish.
  • Almonds and Pine Nuts – Add a crunchy texture to the entire dish.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - I like to use extra virgin olive oil with this recipe.
  • Fresh Parsley - For garnishing (optional).
  • Pomegranate Seeds - For garnishing (optional).

Instructions

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Prepare the Eggplant:

Eggplants sliced in cubes sprinkled with oil on a baking sheet prior to roasting

Step 1 | Slice eggplant into cubes, and brush with oil and salt.

Eggplants sliced into cubes and toasted on a baking sheet

Step 2 | Place under the broiler while stirring every few minutes, continue until fully grilled and golden brown about 20-30 minutes.

Prepare the Bread:

Sliced bread on a baking sheet prior to toasting.

Step 3 | Slice bread into small pieces, brush with oil, and spread on a baking sheet.

Sliced bread toasted on a baking sheet

Step 4 | Toast in the oven until crispy and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Prepare the Meat:

Sauted onions in a pot

Step 5 | In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat oil, add chopped onion, and sauté until caramelized.

Ground meat sauted with onions in a pot

Step 6 | Add ground lamb or beef, break meat with the back of a spatula, then add cinnamon powder, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Sauté until meat is browned and fully cooked.

Make the Yogurt Sauce:

Yogurt with tahini paste, crushed garlic salt and lemon.

Step 7 | In a small bowl, add yogurt, minced garlic, tahini paste, lemon, and salt.

Yogurt mixture

Step 8 | Whisk well and adjust seasoning to taste.

Assemble the Fatteh:

Toasted bread spread on a round shape plate

Step 1 | On a serving platter spread the toasted bread pieces evenly.

Eggplants mixed with tomato sauce spread over toasted bread

Step 2 | Mix tomato paste with water, salt, and allspice. In a saucepan, add the grilled eggplants and pour over the tomato mixture, stir well and let it cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool off then spread on top of the bread.

Mixed yogurt with tahini and lemon on top of bread and eggplants

Step 3 | Spoon the yogurt sauce over the eggplant mixed in tomato sauce, covering them evenly.

Ground meat on top of yogurt, bread and eggplants

Step 4 | Spoon the cooked meat onion mixture over the yogurt sauce and cover evenly.

close up photo for Eggplant fatteh with sprinkled toasted almonds and pine nuts on top, garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley

Step 5 | Sprinkle toasted almond and pine nuts on top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and pomegranate seeds if desired.

What Can I Prepare Ahead of Time?

  • Grilled or fried eggplants and bread can be prepared 2-3 days ahead of time, make sure eggplants are stored in an airtight container in the fridge and bread is stored in a zip bag at room temperature so it won't lose crunchiness
  • Meat and onion mixture can be cooked and stored in the fridge 2-3 days early and just heated before serving.
  • Eggplants and tomato sauce can be mixed and stored in the fridge and then heated before assembling.
  • The yogurt mixture can be done on the day off and stored in the fridge until usage.

Substitution and Variation

  • The traditional method for this dish requires deep frying of the eggplants and bread, feel free to deep fry or use an air fryer.
  • You can use ready-made pita bread chips instead of toasted bread.
  • You can skip the meat completely and turn this dish vegetarian.
  • You can use cashews instead or in addition to almond and pine nuts.

Pro Tips

  • Eggplant fatteh is best served fresh, however, you can prepare all the components ahead of time and assemble them just before serving to prevent the crunchy bread from becoming too soggy.
  • Serve the eggplant fatteh immediately after assembling, either warm or at room temperature.
  • Make sure the tomato mixture is not too hot, so it won't soak the bread and lose its crunchy texture.
  • To toast almond and pine nuts you can either place them under a broiler for 2-4 minutes or heat oil in a skillet over stove top and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

FAQ

Can I skip the bread?

The bread adds a crunchy texture to this dish, but you can certainly take it out.

Can I turn this recipe vegetarian?

Yes, you can, just skip the meat layer completely or replace it with garbanzo beans.

Do I need to use tomato sauce?

No, you don't, however, the tomato sauce adds an extra flavor texture and keeps the eggplant moist.

Close up photo for Eggplant fatteh with sprinkled toasted almonds and pine nuts on top, and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley

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Eggplant Fatteh

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Wafa Shami
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 3 1x
  • Category: Lunch/Dinner
  • Method: Baking/Air fryer
  • Cuisine: Palestinian/Middle Eastern
  • Diet: Halal
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Description

Eggplant Fatteh is a delicious Middle Eastern dish that consists of layers of fried or grilled eggplants and crunchy bread, topped with a garlicky tangy yogurt sauce and then garnished with toasted nuts.


Ingredients

Scale

Grilling Eggplant and Bread

  • 1-2 flatbread
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • A pinch of Sea salt for the eggplant (1/16 teaspoon)

Cooking Meat

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil
  • 1 sweet or yellow onion chopped
  • ½ pound ground beef or lamb
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • A pinch of ground nutmeg (1/16 teaspoon)
  • A pinch of ground cinnamon (1/16 teaspoon)
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)

Yogurt Mixture

  • 1 ½ cups of whole milk plain yogurt
  • 2-3 cloves crushed garlic
  • ½ juice of a lemon (adjust to taste)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons tahini paste
  • Sea salt (adjust to taste)

Tomato Mixture

  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 1 cup hot water
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • A pinch of allspice

Instructions

Grilling Eggplant and Bread

  1. Slice eggplant into cubes, and brush with oil with a sprinkle of sea salt.
  2. Place under the broiler while stirring every few minutes, and continue until golden brown about 20-30 minutes.
  3. Slice bread into small pieces, brush with some oil and spread on a baking sheet.
  4. Toast them in the oven until crispy and lightly browned about 10 minutes.

Cooking Meat

  1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat oil, add chopped onions, and sauté until caramelized.
  2. Add ground meat, break meat with the back of a spatula, then add cinnamon powder, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Sauté until meat is browned and fully cooked.

Yogurt Mixture

  1. In a small bowl, add yogurt, minced garlic, tahini paste, lemon, and salt.
  2. Whisk well and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Tomato Mixture

  1. Mix tomato paste in 1 cup of hot water with salt and allspice.
  2. In a saucepan add grilled eggplants and pour tomato mixture.
  3. Mix well and let it cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat and let it cool off before spreading over the bread.

Assemble the Fatteh

  1. On a rounded or oval platter spread the toasted bread pieces evenly.
  2. Spread tomato eggplant mixture evenly over the bread.
  3. Spoon the garlic yogurt sauce over the eggplant mixed in tomato sauce, covering them evenly.
  4. Spoon the cooked meat onion mixture over the yogurt sauce and cover evenly.
  5. Sprinkle toasted almond and pine nuts over the dish.
  6. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and pomegranate seeds if desired.

Notes

  • Eggplant fatteh is best served fresh, however, you can prepare all the components ahead of time and assemble them just before serving to prevent the crunchy bread from becoming too soggy.
  • Serve the eggplant fatteh immediately after assembling, either warm or at room temperature.
  • Make sure the tomato mixture is not too hot, so it won't soak the bread and lose its crunchy texture.
  • To toast almond and pine nuts you can either place them under a broiler for 2-4 minutes or heat oil in a skillet over stove top and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us— we can't wait to see what you've made!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nila says

    March 18, 2024 at 4:21 pm

    This recipe is to die for, I made it for my family the other day and everyone loved it. So many steps but so simple to put together and turned out so delicious. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Wafa Shami says

      March 18, 2024 at 7:41 pm

      Awesome, glad to hear that.

      Reply

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Marhabah and welcome to my site. I’m Wafa founder, creator, and food photographer behind Palestine in a Dish. Here you’ll find authentic-traditional Palestinian recipes and more modern which are inspired by my Palestinian kitchen flavors. My blog is all about my mother's authentic recipes that I grew up eating.

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Last Updated on February 8, 2024 by Wafa Shami