Eggplant Fatteh - Fattet Batenjan
There is something about Middle Eastern food, and I just love how easy yet delicious the food tastes! Looks so appealing, healthy and tastes fantastic with a lot of textures and super easy to assemble the dish.
The Fatteh has many variations, this one being a veg but the meaty umami flavor from the air fried eggplants will not cease you from eating this delicious dish. The toasted pita, the garlicky yogurt sauce, the air fried eggplant, and chickpeas for added protein, with a tomato sauce to add to the tanginess (which is optional) and finally garnished with pomegranate seeds and fried nuts
Usually, for fatteh, the eggplants and khubs/ pita bread are deep fried, but this one is a healthier version. Since it’s Dhul- Hijjah and the first 9 days are recommended to fast. This dish can be prepared for Iftar easily and is very light on the tummy yet at the same time, very filling and delicious too! Do try and let me know, in sha Allah. And do include me and my family in your duaa.
Ingredients:
- 1 Large Eggplant, cubed
- 2-3 Pita Bread, cut into small squares
- Olive oil
- Salt
Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cup Low fat Yogurt*
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 1 small clove of Garlic, minced
- Salt
Tomato Sauce: (Optional)
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 Onion, chopped
- 1 small Clove of Garlic, minced
- Salt
- Tamarind , Half a lemon sized (soaked in 1/2 cup hot water)
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper or Paprika
- 1 tsp Honey
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup Cooked Chickpeas
- 2-3 tbsp Pine nuts/ Almonds**
- Parsley, chopped
Instructions:
- Cut the pita into squares and toss it in some olive oil and salt and toast/ bake the Pita Bread in the oven for 10-15 minutes until crisp and brown in a preheated oven at 190 deg C.
- Next, toss the cubes eggplants in some salt and olive oil and bake/ air fry for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp with the insides tender.
- Make the sauce by mixing the ingredients under yogurt sauce and set aside.
- Next, take a small sauce pan and melt the butter and fry the nuts in the butter and set aside, now to the same butter add in your chopped onion, salt as required and sauté well.
- Add in the minced garlic, soaked tamrind water/ pulp, mix well and once started to boil, low the flame and add cayenne pepper/ paprika and a dash one honey to balance the acidity. Switch off the flame when you scrape the saucepan with a spatula, the sauce stays seperated.
- Finally, to assemble, take a large serving plate and first add in a layer of the toasted pita, then the air fried eggplants, top it with the tomato gravy (add once cooled), next pour in the yogurt sauce, cooked chickpeas, more toasted pita (for added crunchiness), pomegranate seeds, fried nuts and finally garnish with finely chopped parsley.
- Enjoy immediately!
*You can use full fat yogurt too
** I did not have pine nuts on me, so I soaked the almonds in warm water, removed its skin and sliced and fried them in butter
