I am finally sharing with you my favorite eggplant fattah recipe. This dish is heaven for me; I can eat it everyday for the rest of my life.

This fattah recipe is so similar to Makdous fattah but it’s not the original authentic makdous. Different textures & flavors yet they match together perfectly creating this delicious dish.

Make sure to read the NOTES under the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 shamy bread medium size
• 1 kg eggplant بتنجان
• oil for deep frying زيت للتحمير
• toasted nuts for garnish مكسرات

For the Yoghurt Sauce:

• 8 packs yoghurt زبادى
• 5 tbsp milk لبن
• 6-7 tbsp vinegar خل
• 2 garlic cloves minced ثوم
• salt

For the Meat Sauce:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 small onion shredded
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 250 gm minced meat لحمة مفرومة
• 1/2 tsp allspice بهارات
• 1/4 tsp cinammon قرفة
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg جوزة الطيب
• 1 1/4 cups tomato puree طماطم بيوريه
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp pomegrenate molasses دبس الرمان
• salt & pepper

Directions:

• Cut the bread into medium size cubes & deep fry in hot oil until golden. Put the bread on tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Set aside to cool.
• Peel the eggplants & cut into medium size cubes & deep fry in hot oil until cooked through. Put the eggplant on tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Set aside to cool.
• Yoghurt Sauce: Mix all the ingredients together until you have a smooth sauce. Taste the sauce to see if it needs more vinegar, garlic or salt.
• Meat Sauce: Heat a pan on high heat until hot then add the oil. Add the onion with a pinch of salt + sugar & keep stirring until the onion takes a light golden brown color. Add the meat & keep breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon until it loses the pink color. Season with black pepper, cinnamon & allspice. Stir in the tomato puree & water. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low & let simmer for about 7-10 minutes until it thickens slightly. Stir in the pomegranate molasses. Turn off heat & season with salt & pepper. Set the sauce aside to cool down; you need it warm not hot. Once the sauce is warm, add the eggplants & mix with the sauce.
• To assemble: Arrange the bread in a big plate. Top with the eggplant/meat sauce then top with the yoghurt sauce. Garnish with the toasted nuts.

Notes:

• I am using Juhayna tomato puree or my recipe for homemade tomato puree. You can’t use fresh tomato juice in this recipe.
• While assembling the dish, make sure to make the bread layer thicker than the eggplant/meat layer.
• Mix the eggplant with the tomato sauce 1-2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend together.
• Assemble the dish right before serving so that the bread doesnt get soggy.
• This recipe makes a big portion, if you want a smaller portion, cut down all the ingredients by half.
• For a lighter version, the bread & eggplants can be roasted in the oven.
• This dish can be prepared a day in advance: store everything in separate boxes in the fridge except for the bread; keep it in an airtight container on the counter.
• For a step by step video of the recipe, check my instagram account.