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close up of a cooked mini eggplant stuffed with hashweh and nuts.

Fatteh Makdous

Sarah
Fatteh Makdous is a spiced meat-stuffed baby eggplant that has been simmered in a savoury tomato sauce topped on a bed of tangy yogurt and crispy sumac flavoured pita chips.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course main
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 6 baby eggplant
  • olive oil
  • 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 1 garlic - crushed
  • 1 teaspoon 7 spice
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • salt as needed
  • 1 recipe everyday hashwa

Yogurt sauce: 

  • 1 cup yogurt
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1 garlic crushed
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • ¾ cup water

Sumac Pita Chips:

  • 1 pkg of pita bread
  • olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon sumac
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the eggplant: Drizzle oil into a large frying pan and heat at medium high heat. Add the whole eggplants and let cook for about 5 minutes then give the pan a quick shake so the eggplants move around and have a chance to cook evenly on each side. You continue this process until the eggplants are soft on the outside. Once soft remove from the frying pan place on a plate and start making your tomato sauce.
  • Prepare the tomato sauce: Add in the onion to your frying. Add more oil if needed. saute your onions until golden brown. Once your onions are golden add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste to the onions allow to cook for 5 minutes to remove and acidic taste. Add your spice cook for a few minutes then add water about 1 cup. Bring to a boil. Add the eggplants back and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
  • Prepare the
    hashwa: if you haven't already prepared this recipe beforehand this is the time to make it. Fry your onions, until golden, add the gorund beef, cook until brown, add the spice, garlic and pomegranate molasses. cook for 5 minutes and then add the parsely.
  • Make the pita chips: Cut the pita bread into small square or rip the bread into small pieces. transfer the bread pieces to a baking sheet drizzle with oil. Add sumac and salt if using. Bake until lightly golden brown. let cool. Some chips might be still soft don't worry they'll crisp up.
  • Prepare Yogurt Sauce: Mix everything in a meduim sized bowl and set aside for later.

How to assemble the fettah

  • Pita chips: Place pita chips on the plate.
  • Yogurt Sauce: Top those chips with your yogurt sauce.
  • Baby Eggplant: place the eggplant in the centre of the plate open the middle with two forks.
  • Hashwa: Spoon in two tablespoons of meat filling.
  • Tomato Sauce: top the stuff eggplant and yogurt with tomato sauce
  • Garnish: now beautify your dish with pops of colour from the pome seed and parsley
  • Now it time to eat right away, no time to spare or you'll be eating a soggy fatteh and losing out on the joy of those crunchy

Notes

Baby Eggplants: If you can't find them or they're too expensive, you can use regular eggplants. You won't be able to stuff them and achieve the beautiful presentation this dish is famous for, but you have a yummy dish you and your family will love. Just the regular eggplant into 1" cubes and fry the until partly soft and continue the recipe.