Idlib Layered Chickpea and Yogurt Fatteh

A ceremonial layered dish of shatteringly crisp bread, warm chickpeas in their broth, thick cool yogurt, and a final topping of Aleppo butter with toasted pine nuts. The contrast of temperatures and textures — hot, cold, crisp, silky — is the entire point.

Ingredients

• 250 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 3 rounds pita bread, torn into pieces
• ¼ cup olive oil for frying bread
• 2 cups full-fat plain yogurt
• 1 clove garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
• 1½ tsp Aleppo pepper
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Cook soaked chickpeas in well-salted water until completely tender, about 60–80 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Keep warm.
2. Fry pita pieces in olive oil over medium heat until golden and crisp on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
3. Mix yogurt with crushed garlic, lemon juice, and salt until smooth.
4. Layer the dish: start with the fried bread pieces spread across a wide serving platter. Ladle ½ cup of hot chickpea broth over the bread — it will sizzle and be partially absorbed.
5. Spoon the warm chickpeas over the bread in an even layer.
6. Spread the seasoned yogurt evenly over the chickpeas.
7. In a small pan, heat clarified butter until just shimmering. Add Aleppo pepper and swirl for 20 seconds. Add pine nuts and cook 1 minute until golden.
8. Pour the hot Aleppo butter and pine nuts directly over the yogurt. Dust with cumin and scatter parsley.
9. Serve immediately — the dish waits for no one.

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