فتة دجاج جبلية

Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh

📍 Lebanese Mountains 🍽 Mains ⏱ Medium

Mountain fatteh built on a base of toasted flatbread, layered with pulled chicken, chickpeas, and a thick garlicky yogurt sauce, finished with pine nuts and crispy bread. The mountain version uses thicker, crispier bread and a richer yogurt than Beirut-style fatteh.

Fatteh exists across Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, but the mountain version has its own identity: the bread is village flatbread, thicker and crispier than coastal market bread, which creates a base that holds its structure under the yogurt rather than dissolving immediately. Mountain families make fatteh for Friday lunch after the morning market, assembling everything at the last minute so the bread remains half-crisp under the yogurt. In Lebanese mountain diaspora communities in North America and Australia, fatteh has become a Sunday brunch dish — a social assembly-line experience where everyone builds their own bowl. The mountain tradition of fatteh with crispy bread and rich yogurt is distinct from the coastal tradition of fully soaked bread.

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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cut the flatbread into roughly 4 cm pieces. Fry in hot olive oil in batches until crisp and deep golden. Drain on paper towels. The mountain tradition fries rather than bakes the bread — the extra fat is part of the flavor.
  2. Whisk together yogurt, tahini, crushed garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and 1 tsp salt until smooth.
  3. Warm the pulled chicken in its poaching broth. Warm the chickpeas.
  4. Assemble: lay the crispy bread pieces in a single layer in a large, shallow serving dish.
  5. Spoon the warm chicken and chickpeas evenly over the bread.
  6. Pour the yogurt sauce over everything, spreading to cover.
  7. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan. Scatter over the yogurt along with paprika and parsley.
  8. Serve immediately — fatteh waits for no one.

Hear every step read aloud

Step-by-step voice narration guides you hands-free. Faten's Idlib recipes carry her own Syrian-Arabic narration. Charbel Rouhana's original oud plays during Cooking Mode.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh?

Mountain fatteh built on a base of toasted flatbread, layered with pulled chicken, chickpeas, and a thick garlicky yogurt sauce, finished with pine nuts and crispy bread. The mountain version uses thicker, crispier bread and a richer yogurt than Beirut-style fatteh.

Where is Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh from?

Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh comes from Lebanese Mountains. Sofra documents this recipe as part of its 214-recipe Lebanese and Syrian heritage collection, including 49 dishes from Idlib province.

Is Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh vegetarian?

No — as written, Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh includes meat, fish, or meat-based stock, so it is not vegetarian. See the ingredient list for the specific ingredients used.

What can I use instead of ground cumin in Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh?

The ground cumin called for here is part of the traditional recipe and gives Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh its authentic character, so keep it if you can. If you must substitute, choose the closest equivalent you have on hand and adjust to taste — the dish will shift slightly from the traditional version but still work. The Sofra app lists the full ingredient set and sourcing notes.

What do I serve with Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh?

In a Lebanese mains spread, Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh is typically served with rice or warm flatbread, a simple salad such as fattoush or tabbouleh, and pickles or yogurt on the side.

Can I make Mountain-Style Chicken Fatteh ahead, and how do I store leftovers?

Yes — leftovers keep well stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat gently (or bring to room temperature for cold dishes) and taste to adjust seasoning before serving. Dishes with fresh herbs or dressing are freshest the day they are made.