Eggplant Fatteh with Lamb

Name: Eggplant Fatteh with Lamb
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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roubashahin.com.au

Mains

Fried eggplant, spiced lamb, tangy yogurt and crispy bread—this one's rich, layered, and seriously good. You’ll want to go back for seconds.

PREP TIME

45 minutes

COOK TIME

30 minutes

SERVES

About this recipe

If you know me, you know fatteh is my absolute favourite dish—made any way, any day. And eggplant? Easily my favourite vegetable. So this eggplant fatteh with lamb is basically my dream on a plate. It’s creamy, crunchy, savoury, and loaded with all the things I love: golden fried eggplant, a rich tomato-lamb sauce, tangy yogurt, and toasted bread.

I’ve layered it in a way that keeps the textures perfect—soft and saucy on the bottom, crisp on top, with that signature yogurt layer peeking through. Eggplant fatteh with lamb is perfect for sharing, but I won’t lie… I often go back for seconds.

If you enjoy this one, don’t miss my full collection of fatteh recipes—from chickpea fatteh to the refreshing fatteh salad and five more variations that always deliver. You can also try my kebab with roasted eggplant and yogurt sauce, another favourite that proves this vegetable really can do no wrong.

Ingredients

For the Bread, Eggplant, and Lamb

Neutral oil, for frying
2 pocket Arabic breads, cut into 2 cm squares
3 medium eggplants, cut 2-3 cm chunks

For the Tomato Sauce

olive oil
300 grams lamb backstrap, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can crushed/crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1⁄4 cup water
1 teaspoon paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
½ tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Yogurt Sauce

1 kg plain yogurt
1⁄3 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt, to taste
¼ cup water (you may need more or less depending on how runny your yogurt is)

For the Garnish

2 tablespoons ghee
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon sumac to sprinkle
Pomegranate seeds, to garnish
Chopped parsley, for serving

Notes from Rouba

Don’t cut the eggplant too small—keep it chunky, about 2 to 3 centimetres
Fry your bread first, then use the same oil to fry the eggplant
You can air fry or bake the eggplant if you prefer; grilling the bread also works
Make sure your tomato sauce is properly thickened—you don’t want a watery base
You can prepare all the elements ahead of time and assemble just before serving—just gently reheat the eggplant mixture so it’s warm when layering; it tastes much nicer that way
The bread layered on top (not under the sauce) helps keep it from going soggy
Serve this dish warm or at room temperature—it’s not meant to be cold
Want to make it vegetarian? Just skip the lamb and use chickpeas instead

Method

Step 1. Fry the Bread and Prepare the Eggplant

Start by dicing the eggplants into 2–3 centimetre cubes and sprinkling them lightly with salt.

If you plan to fry the eggplant:
Place the salted cubes in a colander and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture. This step helps the eggplant fry up golden rather than soggy. After that time, gently pat the pieces dry with paper towels.

If you prefer to bake the eggplant instead:
Skip the colander step. Simply toss the diced eggplant with a little olive oil and spread it over a baking tray. Bake until soft and golden.

While the eggplant is in the colander (or while the oven preheats), cut the Arabic bread into small squares, about 2–3 centimetres in size.

In a deep, wide pan, pour in enough neutral oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Fry the bread in batches until golden and crisp, then remove and drain on paper towels.

If you are frying the eggplant, use the same hot oil to fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown and tender. Transfer the fried eggplant to a tray lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Step 2. Prepare the Yogurt Sauce

In a large bowl, combine the plain yogurt, tahini, crushed garlic, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth and creamy. If your yogurt is quite thick, add water to loosen it slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Step 3. Cook the Lamb and Make the Tomato Sauce

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and diced lamb backstrap, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the lamb is browned and cooked through.

Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for one to two minutes before stirring in the tomato paste. Season with paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and pepper, then pour in the water. Stir well and let the sauce simmer gently for about 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened.

Stir in the pomegranate molasses. Add the fried eggplant and gently fold it through the sauce, just enough to coat. Turn off the heat so the eggplant keeps its shape and doesn’t become mushy.

Step 4. Assemble the Fatteh

To assemble, spread about three-quarters of the yogurt mixture across the base of your serving dish —leaving the edges slightly visible for presentation. Spoon the warm eggplant and lamb mixture over the yogurt base, covering it fully but not mixing it through.

Take the fried bread pieces and gently poke them into the top of the eggplant mixture, scattering them throughout. Finish by dolloping the remaining yogurt sauce over the bread layer—letting it sit unevenly to create visual contrast and pockets of creaminess.

Step 5. Garnish and Serve

In a small saucepan, melt the ghee and add the pine nuts. Fry until golden brown, then immediately pour the ghee and toasted pine nuts over the top of the dish. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of sumac, a scattering of pomegranate seeds, and a handful of fresh chopped parsley.