Fatteh with Pan Fried Chickpeas

When I go into the kitchen I like to bring my passion for traveling with me, that's one of the main reasons I like to experiment with cuisine from all over the world, try different flavours and find comforting meals from every corner of the world. In that pursuit I stumbled upon Fatteh, not a world wide known Middle Eastern dish but very popular in that region. 

Fatteh is a very easy to make breakfast or brunch recipe that is also prepared when family and friends get together in the evening, if there's a specific celebration happening or just any special occasion where food is required. 

There are many different ways to prepare Fatteh; in the Middle East, different countries, different regions have their own unique way to make it, and what you find on your plate will mostly depend on what's easily available. 

I've seen very simple and basic recipes and others where many different crazy ingredients are thrown in the same bowl. Some of the things I would like to experiment with are eggplants, spinach and carrots, I am sure this ingredients add a ton of flavour but in this occasion I am sharing with you one of the simplest versions which only requires a few minutes to put together. 

The rumor has it that this recipe came about from the need to find a good use for stale old bread and not have it go to waste. In the traditional ways, the harden old bread is crumbled, and served under the rest of the ingredient. This is where the name Fatteh comes from which literally means crumbs in Arabic. 

 The most common type of bread used for this recipe is of course our old time favourite Middle Eastern/Mediterranean bread, pita! At home pita bread doesn't last long enough to have it go stale, for that reason I skip the crumbled bread and serve my creation with fresh pitas, either at the bottom of the bowl or on the side. You can give both options a try and decide what you like best. 

Being from a region in the world where you don't really get a break from the scorching heat, Fatteh is a great option for when you are dealing with that kind of weather. We are using mint to infuse the sauce that is made with soy yogurt as a base, this sauce gives subtle undertones of mint to the whole dish that making it quite refreshing.

This recipe is a great way to explore some of the beautiful flavours the Middle Eastern cuisine has to offer; it's made from simple ingredients but by adding a few spices we are completely changing the game and getting transported to the other side of the world. 

As the tradition suggests, Fatteh is meant to be served and enjoyed straight away, while the aromas of all the spices you just cooked are still escaping from the kitchen and the pita bread is coming out of the oven.