Fattet Jaj - Chicken Fattah

Fattet Jaj is a beautiful dish compacted with many amazing flavors and toppings to create the perfect meal. Some people make a fatteh with eggplant or shreds of beef, however I chose to make it with shredded chicken. I also was inspired to add the chicken fatteh on a bed or rice to be served as dinner instead of an appetizer. I fried some golden rice that I then cooked and seasoned with some salt and turmeric. I then added that to a platter where I topped it with seasoned and sauteed chicken, fried pita bread, and a chickpea and yogurt sauce. I garnished this lovely dish with toasted pine nuts and some freshly chopped parsley. There were definitely no leftovers with this dish!

This dish can be made without the rice, but I wanted to make an entire meal out of it so it can be filling and even more delicious!

For a healthier option, you can toast the pita bread in the oven instead of pan-frying them.

Just a few years ago if you would have asked me what fatteh was, I probably wouldn't really know. It wasn't until recently when I found my love for eggplant fattah. I love the different textures that come with this dish and how versatile it can be, based on what you prefer. When I started blogging, I saw all of these amazing food bloggers creating chicken fatteh. It got me inspired and so when I ordered it one day at a restaurant I knew I had to recreate it in my own way.

Chicken fatteh usually is served as a side dish along a larger main meal. However, I chose to build it on a bed of golden rice. This added textures and flavors that really enhanced the dish to make it perfect when serving! I am also not a big fan of tahini sauce, and although many recipes call for this in the yogurt sauce, I decided to opt out on it and create the sauce how I like!

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Prep Time: 5 minutes Serves: 2 People Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

For the Rice:

• 1/2 cup Golden Rice, uncooked

• 1 Tbsp. Ghee

• 1/2 tsp. Salt

• 1/4 tsp. Turmeric

For the Chicken:

• 2 Thinly Sliced Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

• 1 Packet Sazon

• 1 tsp. Seasoned Salt

• 1 tsp. Onion Powder

• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder

• 1 Tbsp. Paprika

• 1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

• 1/2 tsp. Cumin

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

For the Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup Plain Yogurt

• 1/2 cup Canned Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

• Salt, to taste

For the Toppings:

• 1 Pita Bread, cut into bite-sized squares

• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

• 1/3 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

• 1/4 cup Pine Nuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, add the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

2. Once the oil has heated, add the chopped pita bread squares and fry them for about 3-4 minutes until they are a golden brown and crispy.

3. Place the fried pita chips in a bowl and set aside to get to room temperature. Keep them uncovered so they don't get soggy.

4. In the same skillet, add in the pine nuts and toast them in the leftover oil for 1-2 minutes until they have turned a light golden brown color and their fragrance has broken through. Set them aside in a separate bowl.

5. In a medium bowl, add the chicken breasts, sazon packet, seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and cumin. Coat both chicken breasts evenly with the spices as a dry rub.

6. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil for the chicken over medium heat. Add in the chicken and saute on each side for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink inside. Set aside.

7. Meanwhile, add the ghee for the rice to a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Add in the rice and fry it for about 4-5 minutes until the rice becomes slightly golden.

8. Add in the turmeric and salt and add enough water to fill 1/3 of the pot.

9. Bring the rice to a boil and then cover the pot and turn the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook the rice and fluff it with a fork every 5 minutes until all the water is gone and the rice is fully cooked.

10. Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and slice them into thin pieces. Return the chicken back to the skillet and saute the slices for another 5 minutes until the chicken has browned.

11. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the yogurt sauce really well.

12. To assemble, add the cooked rice to the bottom of a platter. Top the rice with chicken and add half of the fried pita chips over the sliced chicken. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the pita chips and top that with the rest of the pita chips, chopped parsley, and pine nuts.

13. Serve immediately and enjoy!