Arayes - Middle Eastern ground meat stuffed pita

Tasty Lebanese street food.

Arayes is pita bread stuffed with seasoned raw ground meat then cooked until juicy on the inside and golden and crispy on the outside. The combination of freshly minced meat, aromatic spices and crunchy toasted bread is delicious! This unique Lebanese street food is a fun starter or meal that’s easy to make at home.

Ground Meat

The meat filling in Arayes is basically a traditional kofta with the addition of pomegranate molasses to give it extra depth. Lamb is a popular protein in Middle Eastern food, but ground beef is equally delicious, so you choose. Choose a cut with the least amount of fat, as too much fat in your mixture may cause the bread to go soggy. You can make the meat filling a day ahead and store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

Aromatics

Traditional Arayes is made with Baharat, a seven-spice blend. Since most people won’t have this in their pantry, we have used a combination of ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon to achieve a similar flavour profile. Pomegranate molasses is a sweet and tangy syrup used in Middle Eastern cuisine. If you don’t have it the filling will still be bursting with flavour. 

Pita Bread

You need pita bread that when cut in half opens into a pocket for stuffing. Pita bread come in many sizes; we chose small pita pockets because they are easy to cook in a pan on the stove top. Use the freshest pita possible, as it will be much easier to open and stuff without tearing. Experiment with different brands and bread thickness as some get crispier than others.

It is also possible to make gluten free Arayes. Choose thin gluten free flat bread and fold it in half.

Serving and dipping suggestions

Arayes are delicious, straight off the hot plate but the flavours come alive with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice and/or dunked into homemade yogurt or one of these yummy homemade yogurt sauces:

• Tahini yogurt
• Indian mint yogurt sauce
• Chunky cucumber yogurt raita

Makes 10 pieces

INGREDIENTS

500g ground lean beef or lamb
1 small onion, grated
3 cloves of garlic crushed or grated
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
5 small pita bread cut in half
Olive oil to brush

METHOD

1.   To begin grind the meat using the 5mm cutting blade.
2.   Combine the ground meat, grated onion, crushed garlic, finely chopped parsley, pomegranate molasses, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl. Mix well using your hands. You can use the mixture straight away or allow it to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

3.   Divide the meat mixture into 10 portions and form into balls.
4.   Cut the pita in half to create two half circle pockets.
5.   Gently open a pita. Flatten a meatball into a semi-circle shape then pock it inside. Carefully spread the mixture on one side, making sure it goes all the way to the edges. Press the pita closed, then set aside on a plate then repeat the process until all the pita are filled.

6.   Preheat oven to 60C/140F to keep the Arayes warm once cooked.
7.   Just before cooking lightly brush the Arayes with olive oil on each side.
8.   Cook on a cast iron skillet or pan on the stove top or use the grill or hotplate outside on the BBQ. Once the pan is hot cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula. The ground meat filling cooks quickly. They are done when both sides are golden and crispy.

9.   Transfer to a rack on a tray and put in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining Arayes.
10.  Serve Arayes on a platter with lemon wedges and yogurt dipping sauce of your choice.
11.  Left over Arayes may be reheated on a tray in the oven.

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