Arayes (middle eastern inspired stuffed pita)

These arayes, pita stuffed with minced meat, are a common street food found in the Middle East. We’ve put a bit of Italian spin on them with the use of parsley and oregano. Dip into a herb yogurt dipping sauce for a delightful bite!

Arayes (middle eastern inspired stuffed pita)

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Arayes (middle eastern inspired stuffed pita)

Prep Time

25 min

Total Time

35 min

Serves

6 Servings

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Ingredients

450g / 1 lb extra lean ground beef

½ large white onion, grated

4x garlic cloves, pressed or grated

⅓ cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

3 pitas (5-6 inches in diameter), cut in half

Herb Yogurt Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2x garlic cloves

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup packed parsley

⅓ cup packed mint

2 tbsp minced chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the herb yogurt dip by combining all the dip ingredients in a blender, food processor or with a hand blender and blend until smooth and combined. Set aside in the fridge.
Make the meat filling: In a bowl add the ground beef, grated onion, grated garlic cloves, chopped parsley, chopped mint, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Use your hands or a spatula to mix well to fully combine all of the ingredients.
Cut the pitas in half and open them to form pockets.
Divide the meat mixture into 6 portions.
Carefully open each pita half and flatten one portion of the meat into the pita, closing the pita and gently pressing down to distribute the meat evenly making the pita flat. Repeat the process with all of the pita halves and until no more meat remains.
Cook the pitas: Put a frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add two pita halves at a time, cooking for 4-6 minutes per side, until the pita is golden brown and the meat is cooked to your liking, pressing down on the pitas as they cook. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining pita halves, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
Serve immediately with herb yogurt dip!