Ramadan and Fatteh (pita with chickpeas and yoghurt) 

This week I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious Middle Eastern Fatteh. Food and food culture really fascinates me. I believe the very best thing about traveling or meeting people from different cultures is becoming more informed about their way of life and of course, exploring their traditional food.

Every country or community’s unique cuisine reflects its distinct history, lifestyle, values, and beliefs. I just love how traditional cuisine is passed down from one generation to the next and how it operates as an expression of cultural identity.

So with Ramadan beginning today, I’ve asked my friend Souad to share what Ramadan is, as well as a recipe for Fatteh (pita with chickpeas and yoghurt) – a divine meal that features on her table regularly. Trust me, Fatteh is so delicious and will absolutely become a regular on my own table  – my whole family loved it, it’s SO easy to make and definitely proves that the simple things in life, are often he best.

What is Ramadan?

Fasting during the month of ‘Ramadan’ is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. Ramadan is in the ninth and most sacred month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar. The fasting of Ramadan is obligatory for every healthy person and takes place from sunrise until sunset. However young children, the elderly, travellers, pregnant women and people in poor health are amongst those that are exempted from fasting.

The foods of fasting and Ramadan

During Ramadan, Muslims fast by waking up very early (known as the ‘Suhoor’) and eating a pre-dawn meal to help sustain their mind and body throughout the day. Suhoor should be nutrient dense, yet not too heavy and contain a combination of high quality protein, fibre-rich food, hydrating vegetables and good sources of fat; in addition they also consume water and or tea (preferably herbal). Food choices do vary from culture to culture. Foods eaten can include dates, eggs, traditional soups with choice of protein, oatmeal, a variety of homemade dairy products (labne, shanglish) with bread, olives, cucumber and tomatoes. Once the sun rises, the fasting Muslim is not allowed to consume any food or water until sunset. 

‘Iftar’ time (breaking of the fast) occurs at sunset, where it is customary to break the fast with dates and water as this helps to restore sugar and salt levels and rehydrates the body. Then Muslims pray the ‘Megreb prayer’ and then return to the dinner table to have their meal.

The types of food served vary by region. However mostly, families start with a simple soup, then move onto grazing the table with a variety of dishes ranging from casseroles, rice and legumes, salads and vegetables and of course meat/chicken/seafood. The fasting Muslim can continue to eat and drink until sun rise. It is highly encouraged to be more conscious and wary of what and how much you eat, focusing more on eating small amounts of healthy, wholesome, hearty foods and abstaining from processed and sugary foods, maintaining control and not over indulging. And to importantly, stay hydrated!

More than just fasting…

Throughout this month, a Muslim must do his utmost to refrain from negative behaviour, like swearing, lying etc and increase good behaviours. This is to help the Muslim build spiritual character and personal awareness by increasing charitable deeds, attending congregational prayers and maintaining ties with family, friends and neighbours.

End of fasting…

Ramadan comes to an end at the sighting of the crescent moon which indicates a new month. It is then, Muslims celebrate with a feast called ‘Eid-al-Fitr.’ This lasts for three days and is filled with family and community activities, gifts for the children and plenty of eating.    

I really enjoyed putting this post together, thanks so much to Souad for sharing this valuable insight into Ramadan and her recipe for Fatteh, such a fabulous, delicious meal.

Health benefits

This dish combines protein-rich chickpeas and lamb with gut-friendly yoghurt, offering a nutritious balance of macronutrients. The pine nuts and tahini provide healthy fats, while garlic, parsley, and lemon juice contribute immune-boosting properties and antioxidants.

Ingredients

Crispy Lebanese pita bread forms the base, layered with chickpeas, a garlicky yoghurt-tahini sauce, spiced lamb mince, and a garnish of toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley.

How to make this delicious fatteh

Begin by crisping Lebanese bread in the oven to make crispy pita chips. Cook chickpeas until tender, then prepare the garlicky yogurt sauce by whisking together garlic, yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Sauté lamb mince with butter or ghee and optional spices until browned and seasoned. Assemble the dish by layering bread, warm chickpeas, yoghurt sauce, and lamb in a serving dish. Finish with a sprinkle of pine nuts and parsley.

Serving suggestions and how to store fatteh

Serve Fatteh immediately, accompanied by traditional sides like olives, pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, or fresh spring onions. Leftover mince and chickpeas can be stored separately in the fridge or frozen, though the bread will lose its crispness if stored after assembly.

Vary this fatteh to suit your dietary needs

For a dairy-free option, use coconut yoghurt and replace ghee with olive oil. Substitute the Lebanese bread with gluten-free wraps for a gluten-free version. Vegetarians and vegans can swap lamb for finely chopped mushrooms and follow the dairy-free variation. Toasted sunflower seeds are a great alternative to pine nuts for a nut-free option. For a garlic-free version, replace garlic with cumin and smoked paprika in the yoghurt sauce. Add ground cumin or coriander to the lamb mince for a spiced twist.

Fatteh (pita with chickpeas and yoghurt)

Prep 15 minutes minutes

Cook 15 minutes minutes

Total 30 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

This is a traditional Middle Eastern dish with many variations depending on each cultural preference. It's always served in one big serving plate amongst family and friends.

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Ingredients

• 2 Lebanese wrap breads
• 2 cup/s cooked chickpeas -fresh soaked overnight and then boiled until soft or you can use 2 cans

Yoghurt Sauce

• 375 g natural, Greek or coconut yoghurt (1½ cups)
• 3 clove/s garlic -crushed (raw)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp hulled tahini 
• ½ lemon/s -juice
• 2 tbsp water (optional if the yoghurt is very thick)

Mince

• 250 g lamb mince
• 1 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste
• ½ tsp ground cumin (optional)

Garnish

• 70 g pine nuts (½ cup) toasted (to serve)
• ¼ bunch/s fresh parsley leaves -chopped for garnish

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160℃/320℉.
• Place the Lebanese bread on a tray and bake for 10 mins, turning half way, until browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside. Alternatively, cut the bread into small wedges and fry them on the stove in 1 teaspoon ghee.
• Cook the soaked chickpeas by boiling until soft and cooked through (approx 10 minutes if they are well soaked). Drain them prior to serving, season and set aside. If using a can, drain and rinse them and then heat in a pot with a little water and sea salt until warm.

Yoghurt Sauce

• This sauce is super important to the tastiness of this dish, it adds SO much flavour. Don't scrimp on the garlic.
• Meanwhile, place the yoghurt, raw garlic, salt, tahini, lemon juice in a bowl and whisk together until well combined. If using a Thermomix - chop the garlic, 3 seconds, speed 8. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and blend, 30 second, speed 5.  
• If necessary, add more water (plain or from the chickpea water) slowly to the yoghurt until desired consistency is obtained. You want the yogurt to sit on the chickpeas (unlike in the pic - I over thinned it, Souad tells me it should sit on top of the chickpeas instead of sinking through doh!)

Mince

• In a small fry pan, melt the butter, ghee or coconut oil and cook the minced lamb (plus optional cumin)over a high heat for about cook 3-5mins or until it's cooked through. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble

• Break up the Lebanese bread into small bite size and arrange them in an even layer on the bottom of a deep serving platter bowl (or casserole).
• Top with the warm, drained chickpeas.
• Top the chickpeas with the yogurt sauce and then spread the lamb and ghee evenly over the yogurt.
• Sprinkle with pine nuts and parsley and enjoy immediately.

Serve

• Traditionally, Souad tells me she would serve the Fatteh with various sides including olives, pickled vegetables, sauerkraut and spring onion (though this can vary depending on personal preferences)

Store

• The mince and chickpeas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Obviously the pita will go soggy if stored.
• The mince and chickpeas can be frozen.

Variations

Dairy-free

Replace the yoghurt with coconut yogurt. Can also replace the ghee with olive oil.

Gluten-free

Replace the Lebanese bread with a gluten-free wrap.

Vegetarian and Vegan

Replace the lamb with finely chopped mushrooms (Thermomix 5 seconds, speed 4). Plus the dairy-free option for vegan.

Nut-free

Replace the pine nuts with toasted sunflower seeds.

Garlic-Free

I would replace the garlic with a half teaspoon of cumin and smoked paprika (in the yoghurt sauce).

Spice it up

I love this with a teaspoon of ground cumin and coriander (ground or fresh) cooked into the mince. 

I'd like to thank Souad so much for this fabulous insight into Ramadan and the food that features on her table during this sacred month. Souad has three beautiful boys and is passionate about whole foods and raising happy healthy kids. She has contributed so much to the Well Nourished community over the years and I can't wait to meet her in person one day.

I'd love to learn more about cultural food experiences so if food is part of a religious or sacred celebration in your culture, I'd love to explore it in future posts. Feel free to email me (via the contact form in the footer of this page) if you'd like to share an insight and/or a recipe. Cheers Georgia x

 

I'd love to hear how you enjoyed this post and recipe - post a comment below and rate the recipe if you love it too. 

Course: Main Course

Author: Georgia Harding

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