This is a fabulous variation on a Middle Eastern favorite. Layers of crispy pita, garbonzo beans, eggplant, splendidly flavored chicken, yogurt topping, parsley and pinenuts combine warm and cool on the palet for a delicious and healthy meal of a salad. Traditional fettah typically only contains one of either chicken, eggplant or chickpeas; but using all three turns this dish into a meal. Removal of the chicken lends a hearty vegetarian option.
THIS RECIPE CAN BE ALTERED FOR HEALTHIER OPTIONS BY BAKING/ROASTING/TOASTING INGREDIENTS INSTEAD OF FRYING.
Wash and cube eggplant, sprinkle with salt and soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
Slice onion into thin slivers. Set 3/4 of the onion aside for final prep.
Wash and deskin chicken (you can use any cut of chicken, I prefer thigh meat for tenderness). Boil chicken in a pot of water with cardamon, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, and onion slivers. This produces the most aromatic chicken stock and unbelievably flavored chicken!! (** I boil mine for almost 45 minutes so that it''s so tender it just falls apart. No need to chop it, it just crumbles.**)
Combine yogurt, lemon juice (or citric acid), garlic, tahini and water. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until final prep.
Fry eggplant until golden then set on paper towel to drain excess oil.
While eggplant is frying and chicken is boiling, pull parsley leaves from stems and chop parsley roughly. Set aside with onions.
Boil garbonzo beans and strain. Keep warm until right before serving.
Fry pinenuts in remaining oil until toasty brown.
Spread pita pieces on baking pan and bake until toasted at 350?. (*No need for this step is using pre-packaged pita chips*)
FINAL PREP:
Layer ingredients in order listed below in a clear glass dish (deeper the better):
- toasted pita chips
- warm garbonzo beans
--- (optional) --- add salt and pepper to taste here
- eggplant
- chicken
- yogurt mixture
- sumak
- parsley
- pinenuts
--- (optional) --- drizzle melted butter over the entire salad (optional)
Reviews
☆☆☆☆
The picture shows cashews on top because I was out of pinenuts...both work well.
[I posted this recipe.]
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