Textual Chef Textual Chef

Fattah

Layers of crispy fried bread, seasoned meat, chickpeas, and creamy yogurt sauce create this indulgent Egyptian celebration dish.

65 minMediumServes 6520 cal/serving

EgyptianDinnerStovetop and OvenStandard

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs lamb stew meat (cut into chunks)
  • 2 pita bread loaves
  • 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 1 med onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can canned chickpeas (drained)
  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 tsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Cut 2 pita bread loaves into 1-inch pieces.

  2. 2

    Heat 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pita pieces in batches until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

  3. 3

    In the same oil, brown 1.5 lbs lamb stew meat (cut into chunks) on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

  4. 4

    In the remaining oil, sauté 1 med diced onion until softened, about 3 minutes.

  5. 5

    Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

  6. 6

    Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

  7. 7

    Return the lamb to the pot. Add 2 cups beef broth and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes until the lamb is tender.

  8. 8

    In a bowl, mix 2 cups plain yogurt with 2 tsp white vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

  9. 9

    Warm 1 can canned chickpeas (drained) and set aside.

  10. 10

    To assemble: Spread half the crispy pita on a large platter. Top with the meat and sauce. Layer the remaining crispy pita on top.

  11. 11

    Pour the yogurt sauce over the entire dish.

  12. 12

    Sprinkle with chickpeas and 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley.

  13. 13

    Serve immediately while the bread is still crispy at the edges.

Questions

Can I make Fattah dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 2 cups plain yogurt. Swap the yogurt for an unsweetened coconut or soy yogurt. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Fattah gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 2 pita bread loaves. Swap the bread or crumbs for a gluten-free loaf or gluten-free panko. Everything else proceeds as written.

How long does Fattah keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat uncovered in a 400 F oven (or an air fryer) for a few minutes to bring the crust back; the microwave softens it.

Can I halve or double Fattah?

Yes. As written it serves 6. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. Doubled, split it across two pans and rotate them halfway; one crowded pan bakes unevenly.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is a plain-text cooking reference of 4,481 recipes, free to read and cook from, with no account and no paywall. In the app, this entry scales itself: half, standard, or double batch, every quantity recomputed inside the step that uses it. No ads, no life stories, no photos of somebody else's dinner.

The entries are curated and public-domain sourced, written to a fixed template and checked against it: tested quantities, one closed vocabulary of methods, and precomputed half and double batches on every line. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser, instantly. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually, and the first 30 days are free.