Fetteh Baitinjaan (Arabic Eggplant Fetteh)
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplant peeled and slice in 1/4-1/2 inch widths
- 2-4 cups baby Bella mushrooms (any mushroom will work)
- 4 Tbsp Pomegranate syrup
- 1 Tbsp sumac
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 15 oz puréed tomatoes
- 14 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2 cups homemade coconut yogurt (or if store-bought, see below for details)
- 1 bag of Siete Salt-Free Tortilla Chips
- sea salt to taste
- Pepper, to taste (avoid if you have gut issues)
- ½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Once the eggplant is peeled and sliced, place it in a cookie tray, add a little salt and pepper and bake at 350 F until golden brown - this will take approximately 10 - 12 minutes.
- Then chop mushrooms in a food processor to take on a ground beef consistency.
- Sauté onions in 2 - 3 Tbsp of vegetable broth until clear, and add the processed mushrooms, salt, and pepper to taste. Keep 6 cloves minced separately from the other 8 minced cloves when mincing the garlic. Then, add 6 cloves of minced garlic into the sauté pan.
- When mushrooms are done cooking, add tomato sauce and about 1 Tbsp of pomegranate syrup.
- Let the mushrooms simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the eggplant and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- While waiting, mix the rest of the minced garlic (about 8 cloves) into the yogurt and mix. Add the juiced lime to the mix for an extra tart flavor.
Assembly - Putting the Fetteh Baitinjaan Together
- The first step is to layer some of the chips on the bottom of an empty baking dish. Then layer on the eggplant and mushrooms. It is ok if they mix together.
- Next, add a drizzle of yogurt and a drizzle of pomegranate syrup.
- Repeat the process, add the tortilla chips, eggplant, mushrooms yogurt, and pomegranate sauce until the baking dish is filled. At the very top, you want to put a final layer of tortilla chips, then yogurt, and top with toasted pine nuts and parsley.
- Serve immediately. You want to be able to taste those crunchy tortillas when you first bite into the dish, and you may want to keep some extra tortilla chips on hand for seconds, thirds, and leftovers!
Fetteh is a dish from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine – regions of the Arab world. It is usually made with dried or stale bread and topped with different things like yogurt, meat, or other veggies.
I had this dish for the first time while trying to induce the labor of my first child. My Syrian friend (one of my best friends still), made it for me and fed me so much. In those days, I used to eat meat occasionally, and this dish is originally made with ground beef. I took her recipe and converted it into a healthier version that we still make, and it is a favorite with my hubby! He LOVES this dish.
It is also traditionally made with pita bread, which we do not eat because it is hard to find clean vegan and gluten-free pita bread. Instead, I use Salt-Free Siete Chips!
I hope you will enjoy this recipe.
Ingredients
2 medium eggplant (peeled and slice in 1/4-1/2 inch widths)
2-4 cups of baby Bella mushrooms (although any will do)
4 tbsp Pomegranate syrup
1 tbsp sumac
1 tsp cumin
1 large onion, diced
2 cups vegetable broth
15 oz of puréed tomatoes
14 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
2 cups homemade coconut yogurt (or if store-bought, see below for details)
1 large bag of Siete Salt-Free Tortilla Chips
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste (avoid if you have gut issues)
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Directions
- Once the eggplant is peeled and sliced, place it in a cookie tray, add a little salt and pepper and bake at 350 F until golden brown – this will take approximately 10 – 12 minutes.
- Then chop mushrooms in a food processor to take on a ground beef consistency.
- Sauté onions in 2 – 3 Tbsp of vegetable broth until clear, and add the processed mushrooms, salt, and pepper to taste. Keep 6 cloves minced separately from the other 8 minced cloves when mincing the garlic. Then, add 6 cloves of minced garlic into the sauté pan.
- When mushrooms are done cooking, add tomato sauce and about 1 Tbsp of pomegranate syrup.
- Let the mushrooms simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the eggplant and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- While waiting, mix the rest of the minced garlic (about 8 cloves) into the yogurt and mix. Add the juiced lime to the mix for an extra tart flavor.
Assembly – Putting the Fetteh Baitinjaan Together
- The first step is to layer some of the chips on the bottom of an empty baking dish. Then layer on the eggplant and mushrooms. It is ok if they mix together.
- Next, add a drizzle of yogurt and a drizzle of pomegranate syrup.
- Repeat the process, add the tortilla chips, eggplant, mushrooms yogurt, and pomegranate sauce until the baking dish is filled. At the very top, you want to put a final layer of tortilla chips, then yogurt, and top with toasted pine nuts and parsley.
- Serve immediately. You want to be able to taste those crunchy tortillas when you first bite into the dish, and you may want to keep some extra tortilla chips on hand for seconds, thirds, and leftovers!
- Watch this video (link to IG) to see how I layer in the different pieces of this dish.
Note on Coconut Yogurt
Our homemade, no-ferment recipe is the best way to get ‘yogurt’ for this recipe.. However, I highly recommend Culina Yogurt if you cannot make your own. It is available at Whole Foods and other health food stores nationwide. It is made with plain coconut and cultures. And their fruit-flavored lines use real fruit. However, some of their lines use essential oils in the recipe (like their pumpkin spice), which I would avoid. Their plain yogurt is clean, though.
To give this dish a different twist, try pairing it with some of the recipes from my Chutneys & Sauces eBook. Leave me a note in the comments below if you made this dish; I’d love to hear from you.
To your health & happiness,
Muneeza
