Mains - non veg

Crispy Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pita - Arayes

Name: Crispy Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pita - Arayes
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 5 pita bread (, the thin pocket type, ~15cm/6" diameter, 250g/8oz pack, cut in half, Note 1); Olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil); 1/2 brown onion; 500g/ 1 lb lamb or beef mince (ground meat, Note 2); 2 garlic cloves (, finely grated); 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley (, optional); 3 tsp ground coriander; 3 tsp ground cumin; 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub plain paprika); 3/4 tsp ground allspice (sub mixed spice); 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (reduce/omit for less spicy - Note 4); 1 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt; 1 cup plain yogurt; 2 tbsp tahini (or Chinese sesame paste - Note 5); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 garlic clove (, finely grated); 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

10 servings

servings

30 minutes

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

5 pita bread (, the thin pocket type, ~15cm/6" diameter, 250g/8oz pack, cut in half, Note 1)

Olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil)

1/2 brown onion

500g/ 1 lb lamb or beef mince (ground meat, Note 2)

2 garlic cloves (, finely grated)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley (, optional)

3 tsp ground coriander

3 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub plain paprika)

3/4 tsp ground allspice (sub mixed spice)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (reduce/omit for less spicy - Note 4)

1 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp tahini (or Chinese sesame paste - Note 5)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove (, finely grated)

1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Directions

Spiced meat filling:

Grate the onion in a bowl using a standard box grater. We want the juices and all! (Note 4)

Meat filling - Add remaining meat filling ingredients. Mix well with your hands.

Divide stuffing in 10 (about 55 to 60g per portion, 1/4 cup). Flatten into a semi-circle shape slightly smaller than the pita bread half.

Stuff - Gently open a pita then place the meat inside. Close, then press to spread to the edge and make it fairly evenly flat. (Is your pita tearing? See Note 5 for tip!)

Cooking Arayes:

Preheat oven to 50C/120F. Place a rack on a tray. (To keep cooked Arayes warm.)

Cook - Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Spray both sides of the pita with olive oil then place 2 or 3 pieces in the pan (whatever you can fit). Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until golden and crispy. The meat is spread so thin it cooks really quickly! {Sandwich press - Note 7}

Keep warm - Transfer cooked Arayes onto the rack and put in the oven to keep warm. Cook remaining pita.

Serve - Cut in half if desired (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't!). Pile Arayes onto a serving platter. Serve with Whipped Tahini sauce. Enjoy!

Whipped tahini sauce:

Place ingredients in a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Microwave for 15 seconds on high. Whisk again - it should resemble soft whipped cream. Use slightly warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving Size

Calories

226 kcal

Total Fat

12 g

Saturated Fat

6 g

Unsaturated Fat

6 g

Trans Fat

1 g

Cholesterol

39 mg

Sodium

532 mg

Total Carbohydrate

17 g

Dietary Fiber

1 g

Total Sugars

1 g

Protein