Fatteh with Slow-Cooked Chickpeas, Fried Pita and Ghee-Toasted Nuts

Method

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas, put them in a large bowl with three times their volume of cold water and the baking soda, and soak overnight (in the fridge if your kitchen is warm). They roughly double in size.

   Add in this stepDried chickpeas 120 gBaking soda ¼ tsp

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, put them in a 18 cm pot with the measured water, bay leaf and cumin, and bring to the boil over high heat. Skim off the foam, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 50 min, until a chickpea crushes easily between two fingers. Add the salt for the chickpeas in the last 10 minutes and keep them hot in their liquid.

   Add in this stepWater for cooking 900 mlBay leaf 1Ground cumin ½ tspSalt ½ tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

3. Grate the garlic finely and whisk it into the yogurt with the tahini, lemon juice and remaining salt, then loosen with 1–2 tbsp of the warm chickpea liquid until it flows like thick cream. Keep at room temperature.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 2Plain unsweetened yogurt 300 gTahini 2 tbspLemon juice 1 tbspSalt ¼ tsp

4. Cut the pita into 2–3 cm squares and spread them out for a few minutes to dry. Heat the oil in a 20 cm deep pan over medium-high heat to 170 °C, when a piece of bread sizzles straight away and floats. Fry the pita in small handfuls, stirring, for 3 min in total, until deep golden, and lift onto kitchen paper. Keep water away from the hot oil, never leave it unattended, and let it cool completely before discarding.

   Add in this stepPita breads (about 15 cm) 2Vegetable oil for frying 400 ml

   medium-high heat

5. Melt the ghee in a small pan over medium-low heat, add the almonds and stir for a minute, then add the pine nuts and keep stirring, 3 min in total, until both are golden. Take off the heat at once.

   Add in this stepGhee (clarified butter) 15 gFlaked almonds 15 gPine nuts 20 g

   medium-low heat

6. In a 20 cm deep dish, lay most of the fried pita, then the hot chickpeas with 2–3 tbsp of their liquid per serving, then the yogurt sauce. Reheat the ghee until it sizzles and pour it with the nuts over the top, then finish with sumac, pomegranate seeds, parsley and the last pieces of pita. Serve immediately.

   Add in this stepGround sumac ½ tspPomegranate seeds 30 gFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp