Fattet Hummus
فتة حمص·(fat-tet hoom-moos)
Subhiyya: Slow Saturday Mornings
There is a beautiful economy to the way grandmothers cook. In Lebanon, day-old bread isn't trash; it's the foundation of a masterpiece. Fattet Hummus is peasant food elevated to royalty—crispy shards of pita bathed in hot, cumin-scented chickpea broth, blanketed with garlicky yogurt, and shocked into submission by blistering ghee and toasted pine nuts. Forget the heavy, deep-fried monstrosities you find in strip-mall restaurants. This is the real deal, pulled together in fifteen minutes on a weeknight but tasting like a slow Sunday morning in Beirut.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Ingredients
- thin Arabic-style pita bread2 large
- olive oil1 tbsp
- canned chickpeas30 oz
- water2 cup
- garlic clove1 large
- ground cumin1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- whole-milk plain yogurt3 cup
- tahini2 tbsp
- garlic cloves2 med
- fresh lemon juice3 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- ghee3 tbsp
- pine nuts1/3 cup
- sweet paprika1/2 tsp
- ground cumin1/4 tsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley2 tbsp
- fresh pomegranate seeds2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Toast the bread.
Toss the pita squares with the olive oil and a pinch of salt, then bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply golden and shattering crisp.
- 02
Simmer the chickpeas to create the broth.
In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed chickpeas, water, smashed garlic, cumin, and salt, simmering for 15 minutes to soften the skins and build a starchy, aromatic broth.
- 03
Whisk the yogurt sauce until silky.
Combine the room-temperature yogurt, tahini, garlic paste, lemon juice, and salt, whisking vigorously until perfectly smooth and pourable.
- 04
Assemble the foundation.
Lay the toasted pita in a wide serving bowl and ladle about a half cup of the hot chickpea broth over the top to soften the edges while leaving the centers crisp, then top with the hot chickpeas, reserving a spoonful for the garnish.
- 05
Blanket the dish with the yogurt sauce.
Pour the room-temperature yogurt over the chickpeas, spreading it all the way to the edges to create a pristine white canvas.
- 06
Execute the sizzling tashha.
Melt the ghee in a small skillet over medium heat, add the pine nuts, and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, then immediately pour the blistering fat directly over the cool yogurt.
- 07
Garnish and serve immediately.
Scatter the reserved chickpeas, a dusting of paprika and cumin, fresh parsley, and pomegranate seeds over the top and eat it before the bread turns to mush.
Notes
Do not fry the bread.
Deep frying the pita is a modern restaurant shortcut that makes the dish unnecessarily heavy and masks the delicate balance of the yogurt and chickpea broth. Toasting it yields the authentic structural crunch.
Never heat the yogurt directly.
Applying direct heat to the yogurt will cause it to curdle and split. Always let it come to room temperature naturally, or loosen it with just a small splash of the warm chickpea broth.
From Cook Lebanese in America.