Chickpea Fatteh Pizza

Name: Chickpea Fatteh Pizza
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 pizza dough recipe ((recipe linked in notes)); 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; 3 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves (chopped); 1/4 cup sesame seeds; 3 tbsp sliced almonds; 3/4 cup yogurt; 2 tbsp tahini; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1/2 lemon juice; 1 cup chickpeas; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 garlic (minced); 1 small onion (sliced); 1/2 tsp cumin powder; 1/2 tsp paprika powder; 1/2 tsp pepper powder; Salt to taste

Spiced chickpeas with lemon, cumin, paprika and garlic baked over a pizza base that is topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and a yogurt, tahini sauce. It is the perfect marriage of a cheese pizza and chickpea Fatteh salad.

I first ate chickpea Fatteh salad a few years ago and was instantly in love! A traditional chickpea Fatteh salad includes chickpeas roughly mushed together with lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin powder, paprika powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. This is topped with yogurt, tahini, more lemon juice and olive oil. Finished with toasted pine nuts and toasted pita bread (that is usually stale an leftover) that is crunchy and golden. There are two types of Fatteh, Levantine and Egyptian. Levantine version uses chicken or some meat on the chickpeas when serving. recipe is my take on that salad but over a pizza.

If you don’t already know, I absolutely LOVE pizza. It is my favourite food of all time. I like trying new pizzas all the time and this one has to be my new obsession. The pizza base is simply made with flour, dried yeast, sugar, salt and wam water. I use my hands to make this dough but you could use a stand mixer. I like using olive oil and semolina to handle the dough. There are a few pressure points to keep in mind when make pizza at home and I will go through all of them with you so that the recipe is successful when you make it.

What ingredients do you need to make Chickpea Fatteh?

We need cooked chickpeas, lemon juice, paprika powder, cumin powder, salt, pepper powder, olive oil, minced garlic and sliced onion. I like using my hand to mix this and smash some of the chickpeas in the process. To make the yogurt sauce we need full fat yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic and this is stirred together until combined.

What ingredients do you need to make the Chickpea Fatteh into a pizza?

I have used mozzarella cheese that is grated, you can use cheddar cheese, gouda or even Swiss cheese but it should be a firm cheese, it cannot be watery/soft as this will affect the texture of the pizza base once bake. I have also used sliced almonds as I didn’t have pine nuts but you can use what you like, this adds crunch. I like adding sesame seeds on the edges on the pizza dough for texture but flavor too. Garnish the baked pizza with olive oil and freshly chopped parsley.

The pizza dough is made with flour, dry yeast, salt, sugar and warm water. I do like using olive oil to knead the dough – it adds flavor but mainly helps keep the dough fluffy and soft without the addition of more flour as it can be sticky. When I am baking the dough I use semolina at the bottom to help it not stick to the bottom. You can use cornmeal, instant oats or a little dusting of flour works too. Make sure to check out my Homemade Pizza Dough 101 Recipe.

What equipment do you need to make this Chickpea Fatteh Pizza?

We need mixing bowls, spoons, a dough scraper if you have one. I made the pizza dough by hand but you can use a stand mixer to make it. I have used a cast iron baking slab to bake my pizza on but you could use a pizza stone or turn a baking tray upside down in the oven and use that instead.

How to make this Chickpea Fatteh Pizza?

We start by making One Pizza Dough recipe. Portion it into 3 balls, cover with a tea towel and set aside. Preheat the oven with your baking tray inside to the highest heating setting, for me this is 300℃ To make the yogurt sauce, mix the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, salt and minced garlic until smooth. Set aside. To make the chickpeas, add them in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin powder, paprika powder, salt, pepper powder, minced garlic, onion slices and using your hands mush them roughly.

Cut a round piece of baking paper and shape the pizza on it. Sprinkle with semolina and working with one ball at a time using your fingers start poking the dough and stretch it out. Be gentle and keep going until you have approximately a 10 inch round in diameter. I like creating an edge with my thumb and index finger all around the sides of the base. Add 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese a the bottom, spread over 3 tbsp of the yogurt mixture and spread evenly. Add 1/4 cup of the chickpeas everywhere. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 tbsp sliced almonds. Sprinkle the edges of the pizza with sesame seeds.

I used a pizza steel to transfer the pizza to the oven you can use a flat plate or platter, just make sure it is large enough to hold the entire pizza or else it will fall apart while transferring. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 mins, this depends on the size of the oven, the temperature and how large the pizza is. Repeat the above process for the remaining dough int he mean time while this bakes.

You know it is done when the top is golden, the cheese is bubbling, edges are crispy and puffed and the bottom has a little color and dry to touch. Drizzle over olive oil, freshly chopped parsley and cut into slices. Enjoy it hot.

How to store this Chickpea Fatteh Pizza?

You can store the leftovers of the pizza in an air tight box int he fridge for a couple of days. The beauty about this recipe is every component can be made ahead of time. The dough, the sauce, the chickpeas can be prepared the night before and you can make fresh pizza the next day.

Best way to reheat your pizza?

You can use a microwave to heat your pizza but I would recommend using a pan. Place a couple of cold pizza slices in a pan and place it on low heat, cover with a lid and heat it for 2 minutes. Add a few drops of water in the pan and cover again creating a little steam. This will help the cheese melt and the keep the bottom crispy. This process should take 5 minutes totally on a low flame.

Now that we have covered how to cook this Chickpea Fatteh Pizza, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.