Creamy yoghurt, roasted eggplant and crisp pita come together in this colourful Eggplant Fatteh, layered with bold Middle Eastern flavours.
What makes this dish so memorable is the contrast in every spoonful: silky eggplant, crunchy bread, tangy yoghurt and the rich, fresh tomato flavour of Mutti Polpa. A vibrant vegetarian dish made for sharing.
Recipe by @mattersofthebelly.
Did you know?
TIP: you can easily prepare all the components for your eggplant fatteh in advance; even the day before, and just warm up the eggplant before serving and assemble then!
1
Preheat oven to 200°C
2
Prepare 3 large baking trays by lining them with baking paper.
3
On 1 tray, spread out the eggplant cubes. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle generously with salt, toss to get everything coated, then spread in a single layer. On the other 2 trays, divide the pita bread and drizzle each with half the oil and sprinkle with a little salt, then spread into a single layer as well.
4
Place all 3 trays in the oven together to save time: toast the bread for about 10-12 minutes till golden, then remove from the oven & transfer to a plate to cool. Roast the eggplant for 30-40 minutes, until soft and edges are starting to char.
5
While the eggplant roasts, prepare the tomato sauce: place the olive oil and onion in a large, deep pan over medium heat and cook for 5 min, till softened. Add the tins of Mutti Polpa, the pomegranate molasses and cumin, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the eggplant is ready, till thickened slightly. When the eggplant is ready, add them to the tomato sauce, along with the raisins, stir very gently so as not to mash the eggplant, then simmer for a further 10 minutes.
6
While the eggplant simmers in the tomato sauce, make the yoghurt sauce: combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7
To assemble the Fatteh, spread the eggplant onto a large serving platter. Top with the toasted pita, then the yoghurt sauce. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, some sumac (if using) and a generous scattering of parsley. Serve immediately!
8
Notes: Only assemble the Fatteh JUST before serving, as the yoghurt and tomato based sauces will soften the crunchy pita quite quickly.