Name: Iraqi Toasted Bread Yogurt Bowl with Chickpeas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 bowls
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 4 rounds pita or day-old Iraqi flatbread; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 tbsp reserved chickpea liquid; 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt strained 30 minutes; 3 tbsp tahini; 2 garlic cloves crushed to a paste; 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup cold water; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/3 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds toasted; 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley; 2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried mint; 2 tbsp warm olive oil

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Fatteh is a beloved Iraqi dish that layers crisp toasted flatbread, warm chickpeas, and a cool garlic-tahini yogurt sauce, finished with toasted nuts and a smoky paprika drizzle. This Baghdad-style version balances creamy, crunchy, tangy, and earthy flavors in every spoonful. Serve it as a hearty breakfast or a light dinner.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings4

Yield4 bowls

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

480 kcalCalories
22 gFat
4 gSaturated Fat
52 gCarbs
8 gFiber
6 gSugar
18 gProtein
620 mgSodium
480 mgPotassium
220 mgCalcium
4 mgIron
8 mgVitamin C
85 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the toasted bread

4 rounds pita or day-old Iraqi flatbread
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

For the warm chickpeas

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp reserved chickpea liquid

For the yogurt sauce

2 cups plain full-fat yogurt strained 30 minutes
3 tbsp tahini
2 garlic cloves crushed to a paste
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tsp salt

For finishing

1/3 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds toasted
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
1 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp warm olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment. Tear the pita into roughly 1-inch pieces and toss with olive oil, cumin, and salt until evenly coated.
Spread the bread in a single layer and toast for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once, until deeply golden and crisp. Watch closely in the final minutes so the edges do not burn.
While the bread toasts, combine the drained chickpeas with cumin, turmeric, salt, and the reserved chickpea liquid in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, lightly mashing about a quarter of the peas to thicken the juices.
Whisk the strained yogurt, tahini, garlic paste, lemon juice, cold water, and salt together in a bowl until smooth and pourable. Add a splash more water if it seems too thick.
Spread the warm toasted bread across the bottom of four shallow serving bowls. Spoon the warm chickpeas and their seasoned liquid evenly over the bread.
Pour the tahini-yogurt sauce generously over the chickpeas, letting it pool around the bread.
Scatter the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley across the top, then dust with paprika and dried mint, and finish with a slow drizzle of warm olive oil.
Serve immediately while the bread is still crisp and the chickpeas are warm, encouraging everyone to break through the layers as they eat.

Cook’s Notes

Use slightly stale pita or flatbread so the pieces turn shatteringly crisp rather than chewy in the sauce.
For a thicker yogurt sauce, strain the yogurt in cheesecloth over a bowl in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
Stir in shredded slow-cooked lamb or crispy fried eggplant to turn this into a more substantial dinner.
Smoked paprika plus a pinch of Aleppo pepper delivers a deeper, more traditional Iraqi color and flavor.
Assemble just before serving so the bread keeps its crunch against the cool yogurt.

DinnerSavoureux