Some dishes are more than just food; they’re a way of finding your way back home. ❤️🇵🇸
Making Palestinian Fattet Hummus is my way of reconnecting with my roots, honoring the flavors I grew up with, and keeping the traditions of my culture alive. Every layer of toasted pita, tender chickpeas, and creamy garlic hummus carries a little piece of home, a familiar taste, and a beautiful connection to the generations before me.
There’s something deeply special about returning to the dishes that tell our story. No matter how far life takes us, the flavors of our heritage have a way of bringing us back to where we belong.
For me, this is more than a traditional Palestinian dish. It’s a little taste of home, a connection to my roots, and a reminder that some traditions are meant to be carried forward, one recipe at a time.
Ingredients
- 2-2 1/2 cups homemade garbanzo beans aka hummus (substitute 2 cans garbanzo beans)
- 3 cups water
- Tahini (less than a 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp citric acid (to start with)
- 2-3 tbs Greek yogurt
- 3 medium size pita bread cut into squares + 1 tbs olive oil
- 8 ounce coarse ground beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pine nuts (about 1/3 cup) you can use slivered almonds if you like
- Lots of olive oil
- Parsley and ground chili pepper for garnish
Instructions
- heat the oven to 400 F. Add the cut up pita bread + olive oil mix well and spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden about 5-7 minutes making sure to turn the pita half way through the baking.
- Start by heating the garbanzo beans until they are tender and easy to mash. If you’re using canned garbanzo beans, rinse them thoroughly under cold running water using a strainer. Transfer them to a pot, cover with fresh water, and heat until the beans are soft enough to easily mash between your fingers. This step ensures they’re perfectly tender and ready for the next stage of the recipe.
- in a pan cook the meat add salt and pepper (measure with your heart) break it down while cooking cover and cook slowly until the juices disappear. Uncover add a lot of olive oil and fry the meat slightly until it browns.
- Prepare the hummus spread by reserving ½ cup of garbanzo beans and ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the hummus, tahini, half of the reserved liquid, salt, and citric acid to a blender. Blend until smooth, stopping-occasionally to stir and ensure everything is well combined. Gradually add more liquid as needed, then add the yogurt and adjust the seasoning to taste.Continue blending until the mixture is creamy and smooth. The goal is a thinner consistencythantraditional hummus—light, silky, and easy to spread.
- Time to assemble! Grab an 8×8-inch baking dish or any deep serving dish you have on hand. I used a oval dish, and it worked beautifully.
- Start by spreading the toasted pita chips evenly across the bottom. Spoon the reserved hummus over the pita chips and spread it into an even layer. Next, drizzle the reserved cooking liquid over the top, making sure it reaches all the pita chips so they soften and absorb all that delicious flavor. Spread the hummus evenly over the pita, then warm the cooked meat and distribute it generously across the top.
- Fry the nuts last in enough olive oil to cover them, cooking until they turn golden and fragrant. Sprinkle them over the dish, then garnish with fresh parsley and chili pepper. Let everything rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
- Serve alongside freshly cut cucumbers, tomatoes, andgreen onions, a few cured green olives, and awarmcup of traditional Middle Eastern tea.
- Enjoy every bite! ❤️
notes
- Your inner chef has to come out with this recipe because it all depends on your preferences—how salty or sour you like your hummus spread and how thick you want it to be (hopefully, not too watery!).
- The best part of this dish is the olive oil oozing over every bite. That’s why we use plenty of it!
- This dish is best enjoyed on the same day.