Description
Stuffed Pita (Arayes) is a delicious Middle Eastern dish featuring Turkish pita breads filled with a flavorful blend of minced beef or lamb and aromatic spices. These stuffed pitas are pan-fried to golden crispness and served with a creamy garlic-tahini dip and tangy pickled red onions, making for a perfect savory meal or appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Arayes Filling
- 4 Turkish pita breads
- Olive oil spray
- 500 g (1 lb) minced (ground) beef or lamb
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) or flat-leaf parsley
For the Garlic-Tahini Dip
- ¾ cup (185 g) Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp freshly minced garlic
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
- 1–2 tbsp water (to loosen consistency)
For the Pickled Onion
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) white vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ bunch coriander (cilantro) leaves or flat-leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Make the filling: Place all the arayes filling ingredients into a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork or the meat will become tough.
- Prepare the pita: Cut each pita bread in half to form pockets. Carefully open each pita pocket without tearing.
- Fill the pitas: Divide the beef mixture into eight equal portions. Stuff each pita pocket with one portion, then lay flat and press with your palm to spread the filling in an even thin layer lining the inside of the pita.
- Cook the stuffed pitas (pan method): Heat a large frying pan over medium–low heat and spray generously with olive oil. Place as many stuffed pitas as fit comfortably in a single layer. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side, pressing gently with a spatula until the pitas are golden and crisp and the beef is fully cooked. Stand the pitas on the meat side for 30 to 60 seconds to seal the edges if needed. Repeat with the remaining pitas, adding more oil as necessary.
- Make the garlic-tahini dip: While the pitas cook, whisk together Greek yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, paprika, and salt. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water gradually until the dip reaches the desired smooth and loose consistency.
- Pickle the onion: Combine thinly sliced red onion, white vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Toss well and set aside for the onions to soften and pickle while the pitas cook.
- Serve: Serve the stuffed pitas warm accompanied by the garlic-tahini dip, pickled red onions, fresh coriander leaves, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Notes
- Use Turkish pita breads if available, as they create perfect pockets for stuffing. Regular pita can be used but may not hold as well.
- If cooking in batches, keep cooked pitas warm in a low oven while finishing the rest.
- For alternative cooking methods, you can use a sandwich press, oven bake at 200°C (400°F) for about 10 minutes on each side, or air fry at 180°C (350°F) for 5–7 minutes each side until golden and cooked through.
- Avoid overmixing the meat filling to keep it tender inside the pita pockets.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
