Fatteh facts for kids
A Damascene fetté with grilled almonds and clarified sheep butter
|
|
| Course | Breakfast or Main |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Middle East |
| Serving temperature | Warm |
| Main ingredients | Flatbread, yogurt, chickpeas, oil |
Fatteh (which means crushed or crumbs in Arabic) is a tasty dish from Egypt and the Levant area. It's made by taking pieces of flatbread (which can be fresh, toasted, grilled, or even a bit old) and covering them with other yummy ingredients. These ingredients change depending on where you are! Sometimes, people in the Levant call it Shâmiyât, which means "Damascene" (from the city of Damascus).
Contents
Where is Fatteh Eaten?
Fatteh is a very old and special dish. It's mostly known in Egypt and the southern part of the Levant. This area includes big cities like Damascus and Beirut, and countries like Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. It's not as well-known in the northern parts of the Levant.
Different Kinds of Fatteh
There are many different ways to make Fatteh, and each region has its own special recipe! Some of these variations even have their own unique names.
Egyptian Fatta
In Egypt, people make a dish called "fatta" for special celebrations. They often prepare it when a woman has her first baby or for a meal called Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan. Egyptian fatta is made with a meat soup that has a strong garlic and vinegar flavor. Crispy flatbread is placed in a bowl, then topped with rice and a sauce made from garlic and tomatoes.
Levantine Fetté
The Levantine "Fetté" is eaten for both breakfast and dinner. It usually starts with a layer of khubz bread. On top of the bread, they add strained yogurt, cooked chickpeas, and olive oil. These ingredients are often crushed and mixed together. After that, a little bit of cumin spice is almost always added.
Then, almost anything else can be put into the bowl! Some types of fetté have eggplants and thin strips of carrot, topped with grilled chicken and pine nuts. Other versions might include lamb shanks (a part of the lamb leg), different spices, and more yogurt. Even a salad called fattoush, which uses toasted pieces of pita bread, is considered part of the "shâmiyât" family of dishes.
Palestinian Fetté
From Gaza in Palestine, there's a dish called "Fetté Gazzewié." This version uses plain rice cooked in meat or chicken broth. It's then flavored with mild spices, especially cinnamon. The rice is spread over a thin markook bread. This bread is then covered with clarified butter and topped with different kinds of meat. Another Palestinian dish, Musakhan, is also a type of fetté.
