Today I’m sharing chickpeas with crispy pita, yogurt and caramelized garlic, or fattet hummus.

Fatteh is such a quintessential cuisine from my parents hometown of Homs, Syria. It’s categorized by the fatteh, or “crumb” in Arabic (from the crispy pita), a yogurt sauce, and a variable main component. It can be made with stuffed baby eggplants, sliced large eggplants, mushrooms, rice and chicken, chickpeas (which we’re making today), and the list goes on.

The chickpea version, or fattet hummus, is most traditionally eaten for breakfast or iftar (the breaking fast meal) during Ramadan, but I’ve seen it eaten at all times of the day. I absolutely love the combination of the crispy pita chips, tangy yogurt, warm chickpeas and sweet browned garlic. We also add a spoon of Aleppo pepper paste to the hot garlic oil and drizzle it on top for an extra mildly spicy and fruity touch, but you can leave this out if you don’t have the pepper paste on hand.

Try fattet hummus on a weekend morning or next to other savory dishes at dinnertime. It’s the perfect hearty, meat-free dish that will make you want to keep going back for more.

This dish might have a few components, but I break it down for you step-by-step, including make-ahead suggestions, so serving is super simple.

I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.

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Fattet Hummus  (Chickpeas with Crispy Pita, Yogurt, and Caramelized Garlic)

Yield 4

Traditionally served for breakfast, this vegetarian dish makes an excellent meal for iftar during Ramadan.

Ingredients

• 2 large round loaves of pita bread, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste (such as Sera)
• 500 g dried chickpeas
• 1 c plain, full fat yogurt
• 1/3 c labneh (see note)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp kosher salt (half if using table salt)
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1/4 c lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
• 1/4 c pine nuts
• 1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil

Instructions

Pita Chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C. Combine the pita with the olive oil on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast the pita chips for 7-8 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until golden-brown and crispy.
2. Pita chips can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for weeks. Feel free to double or triple and top soup and salad.

Aleppo Pepper Garlic Oil

1. Add the minced head of garlic and the vegetable oil to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Once it starts to sizzle, stir constantly, until garlic is golden, being careful not to burn, about 3-4 minutes. Strain, reserving the oil. Immediately mix the pepper paste to the oil when it's still hot. The pepper paste might not fully combine with the oil, but the flavors will infuse.
2. Store the garlic and oil separately in the fridge for up to several months.

Chickpeas

1. Soak dried chickpeas overnight in double its volume of water.
2. Drain the chickpeas and place in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water, about twice the volume of chickpeas. Bring to a simmer partially covered.
3. After about 10 minutes, skim off the foam, add 2 tsp salt, and continue simmering for another 35 minutes or until tender with a slight bite. Set aside. If you're making it ahead, store the chickpeas and cooking liquid in the same large stockpot or in a large container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
4. Alternatively, continue making the tableh (below) and store the remaining chickpeas in the pot in the fridge.

Chickpea-Yogurt Sauce (Tableh)

1. With a slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of cooked chickpeas from the pot and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the yogurt, labneh, cumin, tahini, remaining 1 tsp salt, lemon juice, and 1/4 c of the chickpea cooking liquid. Process until somewhat smooth, about 4-5 minutes. It should resemble the consistency of a pourable sauce. Adjust seasoning.
2. Chickpea-Yogurt Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Bring up to room temperature on the counter before serving.

Toasted Pine Nuts

1. In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the pine nuts and ghee or vegetable oil.
2. Stir constantly until the chickpeas turn golden, being very careful not to burn.
3. Remove from the heat and set aside in a bowl to stop the browning.
4. Toasted chickpeas can be store in an airtight container on the counter for a few days, in the fridge for several weeks.

To Serve

1. Bring the Chickpea-Yogurt Sauce up to room temperature on the counter.
2. Reheat the chickpeas in their cooking liquid gently on the stove.
3. Just before serving, in a deep 8” or 9” round or square serving platter, scatter with pita chips.
4. Top with the Chickpea-Yogurt Sauce.
5. Using a slotted spoon, scatter the warmed chickpeas on top. You might not use all of them, reserve the rest for another use.
6. Generously sprinkle the caramelized garlic and pine nuts.
7. Dig deep into the Aleppo/Turkish pepper garlic oil to fish out the pepper paste, collecting some of the oil as well, and drizzle across the top. As much to your heart's content.
8. Enjoy immediately!