Layers of toasted Arabic bread, warm mashed fava beans, and a yogurt-tahini sauce — finished with parsley, toasted almonds, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Fatteh is one of the oldest dishes on the Levantine table — its name comes from 'futt', meaning to break, because the bread is broken over the dish.
Fatteh is usually made with chickpeas, but fatteh with foul medames is a deeper-flavored, higher-protein alternative, well-known in popular Levantine restaurants.
Cut the Arabic bread into small squares and toast it in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes until it turns golden and crisp. Take it out and let it cool slightly.
In a pot, heat the drained fava beans with half a cup of water and mash half the beans with the back of a spoon. Add the cumin and salt and stir for two minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt. Thin it with a spoon of cold water until it has a custard-like pourable texture.
In a deep plate, pour half the toasted bread on the bottom, spread the foul medames over it, then pour the yogurt sauce to cover everything. Sprinkle the rest of the bread on top.
Heat the olive oil and drizzle it over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and toasted almonds and serve immediately.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Fatteh with Fava Beans and Toasted Bread, and how to fix them:
Reduce the yogurt sauce to three-quarters of a cup and leave it aside for the guest to pour themselves.
Add an extra spoon of tahini and thin it with cold water.
Choose a light-colored, well-roasted variety, and thin it with cold water before mixing.
Warm the serving plate and add the layers to it immediately after assembly.
Must be eaten right away — the bread loses its crispness after a quarter of an hour.
Prepare the beans and sauce a day ahead and assemble the layers at the last moment.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic bread | toasted whole-wheat bread | 1:1 | Keeps its crispness longer. |
| Greek yogurt | whipped labneh | 1:1 | Richer flavor and creamier. |
| toasted almonds | parsley only | to taste | Nut-free version. |
| Ingredient | 3 people | 6 people | 9 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foul medames | 400 g | 800 g | 1200 g |
| Toasted bread | 150 g | 300 g | 450 g |
| Yogurt | 200 g | 400 g | 600 g |
| Tahini | 40 g | 80 g | 120 g |
| Olive oil | 30 ml | 60 ml | 90 ml |
Serve the dish right after layering so the bread stays crisp underneath and soft on top. If we wait more than five minutes, the bread becomes fully soft.
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