Lamb & Eggplant Fatteh
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: March 13, 2020
An amazing combination of flavour and texture, this Lebanese fatteh pairs crisp flatbreads with a soft, spiced mix of lamb and eggplant. It’s intoxicatingly delicious and utterly addictive.
Lamb & Eggplant Fatteh is a showstopper. Although not widely known outside the Middle East, it combines fragrant spiced lamb, silky eggplant and crunchy flatbread for a satisfying, layered dish. Pomegranate molasses adds a bright sour-sweet note, while mixed nuts bring extra texture and savouriness.
This Lebanese-style fatteh is straightforward to prepare in components: a garlic yoghurt, toasted nuts, fried eggplant, spiced lamb and crisp flatbreads. When assembled, it becomes a generous communal main that’s perfect for sharing.
What’s Ahead?
What is Fatteh?
At its core, fatteh is layered Middle Eastern comfort food: crisp toasted bread topped with a savoury lamb mixture and finished with fresh garlic yoghurt. It’s an ideal communal dish, versatile and widely enjoyed across the Levant and Egypt in many regional variations.
Common variations include:
- Levantine: Toasted pita, chickpeas and yogurt sauce, often garnished with pine nuts and parsley.
- Egyptian: Layers of rice or pasta with a tomato base, chickpeas and sometimes fried onions.
- Palestinian: Similar to Levantine fatteh but may include cooked meat, grilled vegetables or tahini.
- Lebanese: Often includes toasted bread, chickpeas, yogurt and sometimes minced meat or fried nuts.
Why it works?
All-in-one, crowd-pleasing and texturally addictive. The combination of crunchy flatbread, richly spiced lamb, tender eggplant and tangy garlic yoghurt delivers contrast and balance. It’s a complete main that needs little accompaniment—perfect for sharing.
Stuff You’ll Need
The recipe is straightforward but uses several components. Key elements include:
- Flatbreads — baked or fried to provide crunch.
- Garlic yoghurt — Greek yoghurt mixed with crushed garlic, lemon and salt.
- Fried nuts — sliced almonds, pistachios and pine nuts fried briefly in butter for texture.
- Eggplant — cubed and fried until golden and tender.
- Spiced lamb — minced lamb cooked with cumin seeds, onion, garlic and warm spices, finished with pomegranate molasses, lemon and parsley.
- Garnish — fresh parsley, sumac and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Step by Step
Follow these steps to build a delicious lamb and eggplant fatteh.
- Step 1 — Whisk together the yoghurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and salt. Set aside.
- Step 2 — Heat the butter, fry the nuts briefly until lightly golden, then drain and cool.
- Step 3 — In a pan with olive oil, fry the cubed eggplant with a little salt for about 8–10 minutes until browned and softened. Remove and set aside.
- Step 4 — Add more oil, toast cumin seeds briefly, then add sliced onion and fry until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Step 5 — Add garlic, then the ground lamb. Break up the meat and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Step 6 — Stir in ground spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, allspice, cinnamon), salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes.
- Step 7 — Return the eggplant to the pan with the nuts, parsley, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice. Stir and cook for a few more minutes, then keep covered and warm.
- Step 8 — Tear flatbreads into bite-sized pieces, toss with olive oil and bake at 350°F/180°C for 15–20 minutes until crisp. Let cool.
- Step 9 — On a large platter, layer the crisp flatbreads, spoon over the lamb and eggplant mixture, drizzle with the garlic yoghurt, then scatter parsley, sumac and a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
- Serve immediately after assembly; the flatbreads will soften if left too long.
- You can prepare components in advance: the yoghurt and lamb mixture keep refrigerated for 4–5 days when covered. Bake flatbreads close to serving time for best crunch.
This is a hearty, self-contained dish. A simple salad can accompany it, but the fatteh itself usually takes centre stage.
Ready to get cooking?
This fatteh is a favourite for gatherings: crunchy bread, fragrant lamb and tender eggplant combine into a memorable, sharable main. Expect it to disappear fast.
Enjoy making it—and don’t be surprised if guests ask for seconds.
More Middle Eastern recipes
If you enjoyed this fatteh, explore other Middle Eastern favourites for similar flavours and techniques.
- Beetroot Salad with Dukkah & Whipped Feta
- Hummus Bi Arnabeet (Hummus with roasted cauliflower)
- Manakish with Za’atar & Steak
- Middle Eastern Lamb Kebabs
- Black Hummus
- Roast Duck with Zaatar
- Hawaij Spice (from Yemen)
- Turkish Carrot Salad
- Turkish Salad (Shepherd Salad)
- Eggplant with Tomato Sauce & Pine Nuts
- Turkish Bulghur Pilaf with Lamb & Silverbeet
- Circassian Chicken
Leftover flatbreads are perfect for a classic Lebanese Fatoush salad—crispy bread with fresh vegetables and a tangy dressing.
Any Questions? (FAQ)
Have a question about fatteh? Leave a comment below.
Fatteh comes from the Levant—regions like Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan—where it has been a traditional, home-cooked dish for generations.
What are the different types of fatteh?
There are many regional versions: Levantine, Egyptian, Palestinian and Lebanese variations feature different bases (bread, rice or pasta) and toppings like chickpeas, meat, or tahini.
What does “fatteh” mean in Arabic?
In Arabic, “fatteh” generally refers to pieces of bread or ingredients that are layered or broken up — reflecting the dish’s base of torn toasted flatbread.
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Lamb & Eggplant Fatteh
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Ingredients
For the garlic yoghurt
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- ½ lemon, juice of
- ½ tsp salt
For the fried nuts
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
For the eggplant
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 eggplant, cubed
- ½ tsp salt
For the lamb
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1.5 lb ground lamb
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- ½ lemon, juice of
Other ingredients
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- 1 tbsp sumac
- Extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Instructions
To make the garlic yoghurt
- Mix together the yoghurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and salt and set aside.
To make the nuts
- Heat butter until hot, add nuts and fry for 1–2 minutes until light golden. Drain on paper towels and cool.
To make the eggplant
- Heat oil, add cubed eggplant and salt, and cook 8–10 minutes until browned and softened. Remove and set aside.
To make the lamb
- Heat oil, add cumin seeds to sizzle briefly, then add sliced onion and fry until golden. Add garlic and cook a further 2 minutes.
- Add the lamb, break up and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook 3–4 minutes.
- Add eggplant, nuts and parsley, pour in pomegranate molasses and lemon juice, stir and cook 2–3 minutes, then remove from heat.
To make the flatbreads
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
- Tear 2–3 flatbreads into 2–3″ pieces, toss with olive oil on a sheet pan.
- Bake 15–20 minutes until crisp, then cool.
Arranging the fatteh
- Arrange crisp flatbreads on a large platter, spoon over the lamb and eggplant mixture, then spoon over the garlic yoghurt.
- Scatter parsley and sumac and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.