As perfect as dinner for two as for a crowd these are so much simpler than they taste, thanks to Baharat, a favourite Middle Eastern spice mix of mine with cumin, coriander cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, pepper, cloves and nutmeg. When I am not roaming the Shuk in Tel Aviv, I get mine from Med Cuisine (this is not an ad) because I think theirs is the best I can get my hands on. Tahini sauce, schug and pickled onions are my favourite condiments and all these really need is a crisp chopped salad or a wedge and your meal is complete and beyond satisfying.
I make these all year around, but in the summer I really love to put them on the outdoor grill when the added smoke gives them an extra hit of flavour. Welcome to weeknight street food.
Note: all spice mixes are not the same. If you do not have any in arms reach, simply use 1tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika (and a hit of cinnamon if you can).
I use Baharat on just about everything, so once you have it in your spice drawer, sprinkle it on your chicken, squashes and vegetables before roasting, on your aubergines, with pulses or on a braised lamb shoulder.
There are a few ways to assemble these, and while they are super simple, these instructions seem long because I am giving you all the variations and choices. You can see me make them here and then you can see just how easy they are.
Arayes
- 500g (1lb) minced lamb or beef (or a mixture), ground turkey also works well
- 2-3 spring onions, sliced thinly including their greens
- 1 small bunch each flat leaf parsley and coriander, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or 3 confit garlic cloves
- 2-3 tsp baharat spice mix (for alternative see notes)
- 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- a good pinch of salt
- (if using lean beef or turkey I add a little drizzle of olive oil, but lamb is fatty enough)
- 4-6 large pita (depending on how much stuffing you like)
- Schug
- Pickled Onions
Tahini Sauce
- this is a basic rule of
- 80g tahini sauce (1/3 cup)
- 80ml cold water (1/3 cup)
- juice from half a lemon
- a good pinch of salt
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together and carefully mix so everything is incorporated but you don’t smoosh the meat too much. You can make this a few hours in advance and let it sit in the fridge until you are ready.
When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 200ºC and have on hand a large baking tray, place a rack on top and put it to one side as this is how you will cook the arayes.
Place the pita breads in the oven for a couple of minutes to warm up a little. This is my little hack for easy opening without splitting the edges.
If you have made your filling earlier, remove it from the fridge. Cut the warmed pita breads in half through the centre and open up each semi circle ready to be stuffed with the meat filling.
You have a choice here – you can either make a flatter pocket with less meat between the pita or you can make them more burger style and pack more filling into them.
Either way, stuff your pockets, making sure the meat goes all the way down to the bottom. Once they are all packed and ready, heat a large frying pan or cast iron pan on a medium/high heat until is is super hot. I do not oil the pan, instead I brush the outside and the cut side with a little olive oil and when it’s hot, place them in the pan to toast and colour on the outside. If you are going for the more stuffed version, I like to place the open meat face down first to brown before the edges.
Once they are toasted, place them slightly spaced out on the prepared tray with the rack and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on how stuffed they are) until they are crispy and cooked. Baking them on a rack ensures they are crispy all over and not soggy on one side.
While the arayes are cooking, make the tahini sauce (or you can make it in advance)
Whisk together the tahini paste and cold water until it’s thickened and smooth (it will go through a series of phases, but keep mixing, the magic will happen). Season with a good pinch of salt and juice of half a lemon. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. You want it to be a pouring consistency so if it’s too thick (all tahini pastes are slightly different) then just add a little more water. You can keep this in the fridge for 5 days and I use it on just about everything.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before diving in. Condiment to your hearts content. I like to drizzle the tahini and the schug and smother in the onions, but others like to dip. Let me know how you like to accessorise these tasty treats.
Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
