Fattet Hummus
Chickpeas, yogurt, tahini and garlic, layered with crisp pita and pine nuts in cumin butter. Serves 4, on the table in 45 minutes.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 480 g
- 400 g
- 80 g
- 2 cloves
- 2 tbsp
- 30 g
- 30 g
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 15 g
Process
Timers built in · swap anything · ask as you cook
Heat the oven to 200°C. Toss the torn pita bread with the olive oil and a pinch of the salt on a baking tray, then bake for 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp, shaking the tray halfway. Set aside.
Put the chickpeas in a saucepan with the reserved 120 ml chickpea liquid and 100 ml water. Warm over medium heat for 5 minutes until steaming hot, then season with a pinch of salt and keep warm.
In a bowl, whisk the plain yogurt with the tahini, crushed garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin and the remaining salt. The sauce should be pourable like thick cream; loosen with 1–2 tbsp warm water if needed.
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook for 2–3 minutes, swirling constantly, until they are pale gold and fragrant. Take the pan off the heat immediately so they do not burn.
To assemble, spread the toasted pita pieces in a deep serving dish. Spoon the hot chickpeas and their liquid over the bread, then pour the yogurt-tahini sauce evenly on top.
Pour the sizzling pine nuts and butter over the sauce, dust with the sweet paprika and scatter with parsley. Serve immediately while the chickpeas are still hot.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is using cold yogurt straight from the fridge; it can split when it hits the hot chickpeas. Let the yogurt sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and add it off the heat.
- Tahini varies in thickness. If the sauce tastes bitter or seizes, whisk in warm water a spoonful at a time until it turns smooth and creamy again.
- Toast the pita until fully crisp; soft bread turns to mush under the sauce. If you prefer a softer fattet, layer half the pita crisp and half untoasted.
- Watch the pine nuts closely; they go from golden to burnt in under 30 seconds. Have the serving dish ready before you start the butter.
Substitutions
- pine nuts→slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
- butter→olive oil for a dairy-free version
- canned chickpeas→250 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled until tender
- plain yogurt→coconut yogurt for a dairy-free sauce
Storage & reheating
Fattet hummus is best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The pita will soften, so store the sauce, chickpeas and bread separately if possible. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water for 5 minutes, or in the microwave at 50% power in 1-minute bursts; do not boil or the yogurt will split. Re-crisp the pita in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes before serving.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my yogurt sauce split or curdle?
The yogurt was too cold or the chickpeas were boiling hot when the sauce was added. Let the yogurt come to room temperature and take the chickpeas off the heat for a minute before assembling. If it does split, whisk in 1 tbsp of warm water or a spoonful of tahini to bring it back together.
Can I make fattet hummus ahead of time?
You can prepare the components up to 1 day ahead: toast the pita, cook the chickpeas and mix the yogurt-tahini sauce, storing each separately in the fridge. Assemble and add the hot butter just before serving. The dish takes only 5 minutes to put together once everything is ready.
How do I stop the pita from turning soggy?
Toast the pita until it is dry and crisp all the way through, and keep it separate until the moment of assembly. Also drain the chickpeas well, keeping only the 120 ml liquid called for; extra liquid will soak the bread. If you like some softness, layer half crisp pita on top just before serving.
Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned?
Yes. Soak 250 g dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of water, drain, then simmer in fresh water for 60-90 minutes until completely tender. Reserve some of the cooking liquid to warm them in, and season with salt only at the end of cooking so the skins stay soft.
Is fattet hummus served hot or cold?
It is served warm. The chickpeas and their liquid should be steaming hot when spooned over the pita, and the butter with pine nuts is poured sizzling on top. The yogurt sauce is cool but not ice-cold, creating a contrast of temperatures that is the hallmark of the dish.
What can I use instead of pine nuts?
Slivered almonds or chopped walnuts work well and are more budget-friendly. Toast them in the butter exactly the same way, watching closely because they brown quickly. For a nut-free version, omit them and double the paprika and parsley garnish.
Why does my tahini sauce taste bitter?
Old or poorly stored tahini turns bitter, and garlic crushed with too much salt can also add a sharp edge. Use fresh tahini, stir it well before measuring, and balance the sauce with lemon juice and a pinch of sugar if needed. A spoonful of warm water whisked in will mellow the flavor and loosen the texture.
Ask KitchenMind about this recipe
Tell it what’s different tonight — it works within the actual recipe.
