Chickpea fateyh, a traditional Syrian Breakfast, on D is for Dinner

With as many as 2,000 Syrian refugees possibly arriving in Ottawa in the coming weeks and months, D is for Dinner is taking a closer look at that country's cuisine.

Manar Ghamien is a Syrian-Canadian who enjoys cooking his mother's and his grandmother's recipes.

All In A Day host Alan Neal visited Ghamien's home to learn how to prepare one of those recipes: chickpea fateyh, a hearty Syrian breakfast dish.

There are two versions of the traditional dish below: one made with olive oil and one that also includes garlic yogurt.

Syrian Chickpea Fateyh (serves 3-4)

Chickpea Fateyh with olive oil:

• 2 large (591 mL) cans of cooked chickpeas.
• 3 loaves medium-sized white or whole wheat pita bread.
• 2 garlic cloves.
• ⅓ c. olive oil.
• 1 tsp. salt.
• ½ tsp. baking soda.
• Cumin.
• Paprika.

With garlic yogurt:

• All the above ingredients, aside from the olive oil and baking soda.
• 500 g. plain yogurt.
• 3 tbsp. hummus.
• 2 tbsp. tahini.
• ​¼ c. pine nuts or cashews.
• 2 tbsp. ghee (or Crisco shortening or butter/corn oil mixture).
• Juice from half a lemon.
• Pomegranate seeds.
• Parsley.

Instructions (chickpea fateyh with olive oil):

1. Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F.
2. Using scissors, a knife, or your hands, cut the pita bread into small squares. 
3. Place bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
4. Rinse chickpeas and place in a pot with water. Add one teaspoon of salt.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the baking soda and garlic with ¼ cup of water and blend with a hand blender.
6. Add olive oil and blend for an additional ten seconds. The mixture will turn white.
7. Add half the boiled chickpeas and three cups of the water from the chickpea pot and blend for 10 seconds.
8. In a large serving dish, place an even layer, about one inch tall, of the browned pita squares. Top with an even layer of chickpeas and add the olive oil mixture until it completely covers the chickpeas and bread.
9. Add a generous amount of cumin and some paprika as a garnish.

For the garlic yogurt variant:

1. Follow steps 1-3 above.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the yogurt, hummus, tahini paste and juice from the lemon.
3. Mix well and add the crushed garlic and a half cup of chickpea water.
4. In a small frying pan, heat 2 tbsp. shortening or butter/corn oil mixture and roast the pine nuts and/or cashews until light brown.
5. In a large serving dish, place an even layer, about one inch tall, of the browned pita squares. Top with an even layer of chickpeas and add the garlic yogurt mixture.
6. Immediately before serving, add the roasted pine nuts/cashews with the butter on top of the dish.
7. Garnish with cumin, paprika and chopped parsley and pomegranate.