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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 fresh mince, 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:
Makes 10 pieces
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