Egyptian Fattet Salad (Layered Chickpea Salad)

Submitted by COOKGIRl

"This recipe is in my Mediterranean Light cookbook and I finally got around to trying it. The author describes this layered salad as "almost like a hummous casserole." All fatta recipes, whether prepared with meat or vegetarian use day old pita bread. If you're wanting lots of lemon, lots of garlic-this is it. PS< The olive oil and pine nuts are my addition."

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photo by Elmotoo

Ready In:: 32mins
Ingredients:: 13
Serves:: 6

ingredients

2 ¹⁄₂ cups plain yogurt
1 ¹⁄₂ cups dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight (garbanzo beans)
salt, to taste
3 day old whole wheat pita bread
1 ¹⁄₂ large lemons, juice of
1 large garlic clove, peeled
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cumin, to taste
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 tablespoon tahini (optional)
fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, leaves chopped coarsley (NOT dried mint)

directions

Use a small mixing bowl and drain the yogurt for 1 hour in a strainer liner lined with cheese cloth.
Place the soaked beans in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 1/2-2 hours or until beans are very soft.
Separate each pita bread into two pieces and toast or bake in hot oven until browned and crisp.
Lightly oil a serving platter. Once pita is cool enough to handle, break up into pieces and line the bottom of the baking dish.
Drain the chickpeas and *RESERVE* the liquid. Coarsely puree *HALF* of the beans along with the juice of 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, cumin and 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add salt and adjust other seasonings if necessary.
To the drained yogurt add the 3 garlic cloves, tahini (if using) and black pepper.
Place about 1/2-3/4 cup of reserved cooking liquid in a measuring cup. Squeeze the remaining juice of half the lemon into the liquid. Lightly sprinkle the lemony liquid over the broken up pita bread pieces just until the bread is moistened but NOT drenched.
Next top the moistened pita bread with the chickpea puree. Spread the remaining whole chickpeas over the puree. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons olive oil all over. Top with the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.
Garnish with the fresh mint.
NOTE: Salad is best eaten at the same meal as the dish does not store well.
Yield: 6 servings for a meal or [may] serve more if served as an appetizer.

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Reviews

This was really, really good! It was gobbled up quickly by my hungry family and some guests, as an appetizer before a dinner party. I did make a few substitutions: instead of pita, I used my own recipe#232706. I also used recipe#71032 (since I discovered this, I will never buy store-bought yogurt again!) And since my garden is under snow and ice, there will be no more fresh mint until early summer :-( so instead I used fresh flat-leaf parsley. I also used two cans of garbanzo beans instead of soaking and cooking dry beans. All told, I don't think my substitutions changed the final outcome very much. I also used a standard fluted coffee filter instead of cheesecloth to make my yogurt thicker, placed in a colander, in a bowl, in the refrigerator. OK -- that's all my changes! :-) Thanks for a delish dish, Cookgirl! Made for NAME Tag!

Susiecat too
A major hit with the family! I used 1 bag of dried chickpeas which said would make 10x.25c servings (2.5c) 1.5c dried should yield about 3 c. so i cooked the whole thing & had more than i really wanted. i mooshed up half with my tater masher instead of the food processor so it was a bit rustic. I didn't have any coffee filters or cheesecloth so i used a double portion of paper towels!! it worked! That sauce packs a PUNCH! It really brings the recipe together. It is SO FILLING!!! This is a great inexpensive vegetarian dish. Thanks, CG! Made for NA/ME Tag 8/2013

Elmotoo
I had to improvise a bit due to ingredient shortage, but I followed the recipe for the most part. I loved the lightness that the lemon treatment on the pita added. Yum! I thought I wouldn't like the pita to be crispy but it balanced out the textures of the rest of the dish really nicely. I am a fan! Delightful! This was filling enough for a meal to me. I have leftovers separated for lunch tomorrow. Veg Swap Oct '11

Hadice

Tweaks

This was really, really good! It was gobbled up quickly by my hungry family and some guests, as an appetizer before a dinner party. I did make a few substitutions: instead of pita, I used my own recipe#232706. I also used recipe#71032 (since I discovered this, I will never buy store-bought yogurt again!) And since my garden is under snow and ice, there will be no more fresh mint until early summer :-( so instead I used fresh flat-leaf parsley. I also used two cans of garbanzo beans instead of soaking and cooking dry beans. All told, I don't think my substitutions changed the final outcome very much. I also used a standard fluted coffee filter instead of cheesecloth to make my yogurt thicker, placed in a colander, in a bowl, in the refrigerator. OK -- that's all my changes! :-) Thanks for a delish dish, Cookgirl! Made for NAME Tag!

Susiecat too