Spinach, yogurt and pita croutons casserole (Fatteh sabanegh)
April 10, 2010 • Category: Main Dish
This is yet another version of the fatteh, a very popular dish in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan. It is prepared as a way to use up stale pita bread and any type of vegetable or meat you happen to have on hand.
According to Clifford Wright, the author of A Mediterranean Feast, this dish is at least ten centuries-old dating back to Crusader’s time.
This dish is layered: First the spinach stew then the yogurt sauce then the fried pita croutons, sprinkled with fried pine nuts. It is also made with minced lamb and spinach. I just used spinach today. You can substitute any other green, of course.
INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 servings
Time required: 30 minutes
For the spinach stew:
- 1 pound of frozen chopped spinach (or fresh)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 pound of minced meat (optional)
- dash of cinnamon, dash of allspice
- 1 bunch of cilantro (if you hate cilantro, switch to basil or parsley)
- 5 garlic cloves, mashed with a pinch of salt
- 1/2 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses
- olive oil as needed
For the yogurt sauce:
- 1/2 jar (8 ounces) of yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of tahini
- 3 cloves of garlic, mashed with a pinch of salt
For the bread:
- 2 pitas, cut in small squares with kitchen scissors
- 1 or more cup of oil for frying
For the pine nuts or almonds or both:
- 2 ounces of pine nuts or almonds or both
- 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
METHOD:
- Heat some oil in a skillet and fry the pita bread. Watch out! It will be brown in one minute!
- Remove the bread with a slotted spoon, place on a dish lined with several paper towels ans set aside till needed. You can also place all the croutons in a closed container and used the next day (or a few days later).
- In a small skillet, melt the butter and fry the pine nuts and almonds if using till golden. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Mash the garlic and add a portion to the yogurt. Mix and add the tahini and mix.
- Fry the onion in some olive oil in a large skillet till golden; add the meat (if using) and fry till browned; drain of all fat; add the garlic and cilantro and stir for a minute in the olive oil till fragrant. Add the spinach, the pomegranate molasses (if using) and 1/4 cup of water and cook the mixture for a few minutes, covered. Add a pinch of cinnamon and black pepper to the mixture.
ASSEMBLY:
- When ready to serve, heat the spinach mixture a bit; place in a large serving dish or individual goblets; add the yogurt, add the crisp pita croutons, sprinkle the toasted pine nuts. Serve.
NOTE: If using minced meat, fry the meat with the onion then add the spinach and cilantro and garlic and cook the spinach; drain the spinach and onion of fat, adjust seasoning and set aside.
Comments
51 Comments • Comments Feed
Dinners & Dreams says:
It looks very fresh and delicious. I love yogurt in everything. This looks like an easy recipe that I would love to make it.
Nisrine
On April 10, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Anita says:
I love Fatteh and I recently stumbled on your blog and love it. 🙂
On April 10, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Fig and Cherry says:
I would love to eat every single thing you post! I must get into the kitchen and start replicating them… kibbeh pie is first, then this second 🙂
On April 10, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Christine @ Fresh says:
I adore all of the different textures in this dish. I looks wonderfully delicious!
On April 10, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Koko says:
I’m so glad you commented on my site, which lead to me discovering your site. Your food is so beautiful and it’s great to learn about a cuisine that I don’t know much (if anything!) about. I will certainly be adding you to my blog roll and look forward to reading all of your future posts!
On April 11, 2010 at 1:16 am
Not Quite Nigella says:
Ahh great idea for using up the extra pita bread! It always comes in large packs and so we always seem to have some left over! 😀 What a gorgeous sounding dish!
On April 11, 2010 at 2:34 am
Cherine says:
This fatteh looks fantastic. I haven’t tried it with spinach, only with chickpeas! Thanks for the recipe!
On April 11, 2010 at 3:15 am
Rosa says:
A scrumptious casserole! A perfect combination!
Cheers,
Rosa
On April 11, 2010 at 4:37 am
T.W. Barritt says:
I really like recipes such as this – they’re designed to use up leftovers, but are full of healthy ingredients as well.
On April 11, 2010 at 5:19 am
Angie's Recipes says:
What an interesting spinach dish! So this is eaten as a snack?
On April 11, 2010 at 6:17 am
The Nervous Cook says:
Wow, look at how gorgeous that is! It’s too bad pita bread doesn’t stick around in my house long enough to get stale. 😉
On April 11, 2010 at 7:04 am
Priya says:
Wow such a beautiful casserole, looks fabulous..
On April 11, 2010 at 8:17 am
SYLVIA says:
Searching through the web for recipes from Beirut I stumbled upon this blog, and now I am in heaven.
You always have fashionable great food. Everything you make is phenomenal.
This delicious green spinach dish is full of antixadendt and very tasty, and the best part is, we have all the ingredients in the house.
Thank you Joumana, for this new but permanent, addition to my culinary repertoire
I am a big fan !!!!! God Bless
Sylvia
On April 11, 2010 at 9:14 am
ça sent beau... says:
Bonjour,
Merci beaucoup pour votre visite sur mon blog. Cela me permet de découvrir le vôtre qui est superbe. Les photos sont magnifiques et j’aime beaucoup la cuisine libanaise que je trouve très raffinée et subtile. Voilà donc l’occasion de m’y mettre. Je reviendrai vous rendre visite avec bonheur.
A bientôt
Marie-Laure
On April 11, 2010 at 10:07 am
Chris says:
My favorite is those buttery fried pine nuts on the yogurt… oh, so good!
On April 11, 2010 at 10:36 am
Sushma Mallya says:
Beautiful casserole…
On April 11, 2010 at 10:50 am
byba says:
Good afertoon,
It’s very nice colors, and I’m sure that’s very sweet too.
thanks for your visit in my blog.
byba
On April 11, 2010 at 11:03 am
Devaki says:
Dear Joumana – I love the idea of meat & spinach, then topped with yogurt & the crispy pleasure of fried pita (unbeatable) with the nutty flavors from the pine nuts and the almonds. (I am such a carnivore 🙂
Fantastic! I could easily eat a bowl of that and be happy with my legs stretched out on the couch in front of the telly!!
Always a joy to visit you!
Ciao, Devaki
On April 11, 2010 at 11:19 am
Laura says:
This looks great. I’ve been looking for more yogurt recipes.
On April 11, 2010 at 11:33 am
Michelle says:
Like the idea of making coutons with Pita Bread! Sounds like such a refreshing and delicious dish!
On April 11, 2010 at 11:59 am
Cool Lassi(e) says:
Yummy Yum! I love all the layers of this casserole. What a way to use up those stale Pita bread!
On April 11, 2010 at 1:39 pm
El says:
I’ve never fried pita bread. This is beautiful, simple and looks both elegant and deliicous!
On April 11, 2010 at 2:04 pm
marla says:
Your casserole sounds wonderful, I love all the flavors you use, I have never had a casserole like this. Must try. xo Nice and healthy too!
On April 11, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Arlette says:
Spinach with meat is my favourite dish… I feel guilty every time my mom cooks it, when we were still in West Beirut, she got hit by a car when she went to get fresh spinach from the vendor.
I see that you recipe is similar to mloukieh stew and not the traditional one .
But again, i do add fresh spinach to the dried mloukheih so I think this will be fabulous as well… where is the origin of this recipe?? Shouf – Deir Al Kamar
On April 11, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Faith says:
This is so lovely! It’s pretty enough that it almost looks like a dessert, even though it’s savory. That spinach stew sounds absolutely delicious!
On April 11, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Pj says:
oh wow, looks so delicious! good way to eat some spinach too.
On April 11, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Lori says:
This would be a neat appetizer too. Or for a ladies lunch. Some really nice flavors here.
On April 11, 2010 at 7:11 pm
TastyTrix says:
So funny – growing up a casserole was a heavy thing, and the connotations for most people in my neck of the woods are less-than-healthy and light. Quite the opposite of this! I mean really, if all casseroles were this lovely the world would be a better (and thinner!) place.
On April 11, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Sarah says:
this is a great recipe! I almost always have pinenuts, yogurt (or labneh) and pita at home and today I have spinach which I just bought from the ramle shuk. perfect.
On April 12, 2010 at 12:04 pm
heni says:
I have never had Fatta but it looks good enough to try out!
On April 18, 2010 at 8:15 am
Me, Myself & Pie says:
Yum! This looks so good! The topping alone is a major weakness of mine.
On May 2, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Alépine says:
Hmmmmm une fatteh !
On May 3, 2010 at 3:50 pm