Arayes, or arayes kafta, is a classic Lebanese dish made with ground beef or lamb that’s mixed with spices, parsley and onion, then stuffed in a pita and cooked to perfection. Some arayes recipes also call for a drizzle of pomegranate molasses for more acidity or a sprinkling of salty akawi cheese that melts into the stuffing. I serve mine with a bright tomato salad and yogurt-tahini dipping sauce that’s also a common accompaniment. Arayes can be cooked on an outdoor grill, seared in a pan or baked. Keep in mind that the thicker the meat mixture in the pita, the longer it will take for the arayes to cook. A similar dish called hawawshi is popular in Egypt and is made with a different mix of spices and often wrapped in a homemade dough.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 large tomatoes, cored
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sumac
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup whole-milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds ground beef (85% lean)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, grated and juice discarded (see Cook’s Note)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 pita pockets
- Olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
- For the tomato salad. Quarter the tomatoes. Scoop out and discard the insides, then cut each quarter into 1-inch pieces. Add the tomatoes to a medium bowl with the mint, parsley, olive oil, sumac, red onion, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the tahini sauce: Mix the yogurt, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the arayes: Add the ground beef, parsley, cumin, paprika, allspice, garlic, onion, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a medium bowl and mix well with your hands until combined and the mixture is sticky.
- Cut the pita pockets in half and check to make sure they open properly. Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions and stuff each pita half with a portion. Slice each stuffed pita half in half again so you have 24 quarters. Brush the pita quarters on both sides with olive oil.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, stand the pita quarters on one of the meat sides in the skillet and cook until seared, about 2 1/2 minutes. Rotate each pita quarter to sear the other meat side for another 2 1/2 minutes. Lay the pita quarters flat and cook on one side until the bread is toasted and crispy, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other bread side until crispy, another 2 minutes.
- To serve, dip the arayes in the sauce and enjoy with the tomato salad.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 780 |
| Total Fat | 48 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 113 mg |
| Sodium | 1187 mg |