This gorgeously simple recipe is Lebanese, and is a great way to use our Spice of the Month, za’tar. This one is made with black-eyed beans but it is most commonly made with chickpeas, and there are versions which include meat. It can be enjoyed as a late breakfast or a light lunch, served maybe with a poached or fried egg to go along with it, and it also makes a great starter, or part of a mezze. It is warm rather than fiery, and the nutty flavours of the za’tar really come through, making a perfect one-dish meal for the summer.

Should you wish to get some meat into the mix, simply dice some lamb and saute with olive oil, salt and a couple of teaspoons of za’tar then scatter over the top of the finished feteh.

01.

Ingredients

400g black-eyed beans (available from Spice Mountain) soaked overnight in cold water
30g unsalted butter
75ml olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 small pittas, torn into 4cm pieces
80g almonds, skin on, roughly chopped
1 tbsp za’tar, plus 1 tsp extra to serve
¼ tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper
50ml lemon juice
¾ tsp ground cumin
400g Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp tahini paste
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
10g parsley, roughly chopped
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges, to serve

02.

Method

  • Drain the beans and put them in a medium saucepan filled with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, skimming the surface as needed, for 35 minutes, until soft but still holding their shape.
  • While the beans are cooking, melt the butter with two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Fry the pitta for three minutes, stirring constantly, then add the almonds and cook for another three or four minutes, until both pitta and almonds are crunchy and golden-brown. Take off the heat, stir in the za’atar, chilli and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and leave to cool.
  • Drain the beans over a bowl – reserve 240ml of the cooking liquid – then tip them into a medium saucepan. Add the reserved liquid, lemon juice, cumin, the rest of the oil, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and on a medium-high heat warm through for six to seven minutes, crushing the beans slightly with a masher, until the mixture has the consistency of thick porridge.
  • Spoon the yoghurt, tahini, garlic and a quarter-teaspoon of salt into a medium saucepan, stir and warm through gently; don’t overheat it, or it will split.
  • Divide the beans between six shallow bowls and top each with a dollop of warm yoghurt. Scatter on the pitta and almonds, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with parsley and za’atar, and serve with a lemon wedge.