“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” – Khalil Gibran
For today’s recipe I am posting one very special Fatteh platter. Fatteh is an appetiser/ layered platter consisting of fried or toasted bread, topped with a cooked vegetable/s in some sauce, usually topped with garlic infused yogurt, and at times including tahina, then topped with garnish. Fatteh can be solely vegetarian, or it can include meats as in the case of Fattet Djaj (recipe on this link). These are the traditional makings of most Fatteh platters. However, a Fatteh platter can have so many variations.
With that said, my mum makes this beautiful fatteh every Ramadan, and in a way Ramadan was never complete without this delicious dish. In fact, Ramadan was always inaugurated with this Fatteh that in our household it became synonymous with the month! So, in this recipe instead of using the usual crunchy bread cubes, we are going to toast the bread cubes, then re-hydrate them with chicken or beef stock. This Fatteh therefore offers a comforting, chewy, soft experience as opposed to that crunchy texture of other Fatteh types. Don’t let that turn you off, the whole outcome falls right into comfort foods, one that you will really appreciate when craving a salty, creamy, soft texture that is super moist, super delicious.
Another major difference in this version is that instead of going for the simple garlic infused yogurt, we are mixing both yogurt and tahini to make the sauce. The flavour combinations, the creamy smoothness, the slight chew, against the velvety tomato sauce…. what more can I say?!Except try it!
This recipe is from the repertoire of over 280 recipes in my book Plated Heirlooms. The book contains recipes from all sections of the Palestinian cuisine, starting with Mooneh (pantry recipes) to dessert and everything in between. Plated Heirlooms is a documentation of recipes and cuisine rationale as well as the compiled story of the cuisine.
