Crispy Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pita - Arayes

30 mins
Serves 10
https://www.recipetineats.com/arayes-lebanese-meat-stuffed-pita/

Directions

  1. 1Grate the brown onion into a bowl using a standard box grater, ensuring to collect the juices.
  2. 2Add the lamb or beef mince, finely grated garlic cloves, finely chopped parsley (optional), ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground allspice, cayenne pepper, and cooking/kosher salt to the grated onion.
  3. 3Mix all meat filling ingredients well with your hands.
  4. 4Divide the stuffing into 10 equal portions (about 55 to 60g or 1/4 cup each).
  5. 5Flatten each portion into a semi-circle shape slightly smaller than half a pita bread.
  6. 6Gently open a pita bread half; if difficult, microwave for 15 seconds to soften, then use a butter knife to loosen the pocket.
  7. 7Place the meat filling inside the pita bread.
  8. 8Close the pita bread, then press down and out to spread the meat evenly to the edges.
  9. 9Preheat the oven to 50C/120F and place a rack on a tray to keep cooked Arayes warm.
  10. 10Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  11. 11Spray both sides of a pita bread with olive oil.
  12. 12Place 2 or 3 pita pieces in the pan, ensuring they fit in a single layer.
  13. 13Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until golden and crispy.
  14. 14Transfer cooked Arayes onto the rack and place in the preheated oven to keep warm.
  15. 15Repeat the cooking process for the remaining pita breads.
  16. 16Cut the Arayes in half if desired.
  17. 17Pile Arayes onto a serving platter and serve with Whipped Tahini sauce.
  18. 18To prepare the Whipped Tahini sauce: Place plain yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, finely grated garlic clove, and cooking/kosher salt in a heatproof bowl.
  19. 19Whisk the sauce ingredients to combine.
  20. 20Microwave the sauce for 15 seconds on high.
  21. 21Whisk again until the sauce resembles soft whipped cream.
  22. 22Serve the Whipped Tahini sauce slightly warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

  • 5 pita bread, the thin pocket type, ~15cm/6" diameter (250g/8oz pack), cut in half
  • Olive oil spray
  • 0.5 brown onion
  • 500 g lamb or beef mince (ground meat)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, 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/omit for less spicy)
  • 1.25 tsp cooking/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/kosher salt

Equipment

box graterlarge frying panspatulaovenracktrayheatproof bowlwhiskmicrowave

Tips

  • Grate the onion for finer texture and more juice, which enhances the meat mixture's flavor.
  • Microwave pita bread for 15 seconds on high to soften it, making it easier to open and stuff.
  • Spray both sides of the pita with olive oil for cooking to prevent greasiness and use less oil.
  • Keep cooked Arayes warm in a low oven (50C/120F) on a rack over a tray to prevent the underside from getting soggy.
  • To speed up cooking, use two frying pans simultaneously.
  • For the whipped tahini yogurt sauce, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds on high before whisking to achieve a soft whipped cream texture.
  • Assemble Arayes ahead of time and store them in the fridge for a couple of days, or freeze for later.
  • You can use various pita breads (thin, thick, large Lebanese bread) or even tortillas; adjust cooking time for thicker breads.
  • If using a sandwich press, the bottom may not be as crispy as pan-frying due to the weight pressing out more fat.