Crispy Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pita - Arayes

Ingredients

• 5 pita bread (thin pocket type, ~15cm/6" diameter, cut in half)
• olive oil spray (for coating pita; or brush with olive oil)
• 0.5 brown onion (grated with juices)
• 500 g lamb or beef mince (ground meat)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely grated)
• 1 tbsp parsley (finely chopped, optional)
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 tsp smoked paprika (sub plain paprika)
• 0.75 tsp ground allspice (sub mixed spice)
• 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (reduce or omit for less spicy)
• 1.25 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp tahini (or Chinese sesame paste)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove (finely grated)
• 0.5 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)

Steps

1. 1

   Grate the 1/2 onion into a bowl using a standard box grater. Ensure you include all the juices.

2. 2

   To the bowl with the onion, add the lamb or beef mince, 2 grated garlic cloves, chopped parsley, ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground allspice, cayenne pepper, and 1 1/4 tsp salt.

3. 3

   Mix the meat filling ingredients together thoroughly using your hands until well combined.

4. 4

   Divide the meat stuffing into 10 equal portions (about 55 to 60g or 1/4 cup each).

5. 5

   Flatten each portion into a semi-circle shape that is slightly smaller than a pita bread half.

6. 6

   Gently open a pita bread half and place a portion of the meat inside. Close the pita and press down to spread the meat to the edges in an even, flat layer.

7. 7

   Preheat your oven to 50°C (120°F) and place a wire rack over a baking tray to keep cooked Arayes warm.

8. 8

   Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

9. 9

   Spray both sides of the stuffed pita with olive oil spray (or brush with oil).

10. 10

    Place 2 or 3 pieces in the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until the pita is golden and crispy and the meat is cooked through.

11. 11

    Transfer the cooked Arayes to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining portions.

12. 12

    For the Whipped Tahini Sauce, place the yogurt, 2 tbsp tahini, lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, and 1/2 tsp salt in a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine.

13. 13

    Microwave the sauce mixture for 15 seconds on high. Whisk again until it becomes aerated and resembles soft whipped cream.

14. 14

    Cut the Arayes in half if desired and serve warm with the Whipped Tahini sauce.

Notes

Pita bread: Use pockets that can be split open. Thinner is better for quick cooking, but thicker pita works too (just add 1-2 minutes to cook time). Onion: Grating the onion ensures it cooks through at the same rate as the meat and adds moisture. Tahini: Use hulled tahini for a less bitter flavor. Variations: Can be made with large Lebanese bread (spread meat with a knife and fold) or even tortillas used like quesadillas.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• main
• Lebanese
• Middle Eastern
• pan-fried
• street food
• kofta
• meat-stuffed