Arayes - Crispy Pita Stuffed With Lamb
Arayes are a Middle Eastern street food classic—pita pockets stuffed with spiced lamb, then pan-fried until golden and crispy. The filling is fragrant with warm spices and fresh herbs, while the pita turns crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Paired with a yoghurt sauce, they make an easy crowd-pleaser for lunch, dinner, or entertaining.
Serves
6
Prep time
15 minutes
Cooking time
15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 pita bread pockets, cut in half (makes 6)
- Olive oil
Meat Filling:
- 1/2 brown onion, diced or grated using box grater
- 500g lamb mince
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1/2 red capsicum, diced
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp each of salt u0026 pepper
Yoghurt Sauce:
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Tips for the best Areyas:
Use a box grater to finely grate the onion for a smoother texture in the filling.
Toast the pita pockets on both sides to make them crispy and golden.
For extra flavour, drizzle the yoghurt sauce over the pita or serve on the side as a dip.
Directions
- Add the meat filling ingredients into a bowl and combine using your hands.
- Gently open a pita pocket and stuff it with the meat filling. Fill each pita according to your preference, but avoid overstuffing to prevent tearing.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and place the pitas face side down to brown the meat. Then cook for about 2 minutes on each side of the pita, until they are golden and crispy.
- Place the yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Dip the pita into the sauce and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 pita bread pockets, cut in half (makes 6)
- Olive oil
Meat Filling:
- 1/2 brown onion, diced or grated using box grater
- 500g lamb mince
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1/2 red capsicum, diced
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp each of salt u0026 pepper
Yoghurt Sauce:
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Tips for the best Areyas:
Use a box grater to finely grate the onion for a smoother texture in the filling.
Toast the pita pockets on both sides to make them crispy and golden.
For extra flavour, drizzle the yoghurt sauce over the pita or serve on the side as a dip.
Directions
- Add the meat filling ingredients into a bowl and combine using your hands.
- Gently open a pita pocket and stuff it with the meat filling. Fill each pita according to your preference, but avoid overstuffing to prevent tearing.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and place the pitas face side down to brown the meat. Then cook for about 2 minutes on each side of the pita, until they are golden and crispy.
- Place the yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Dip the pita into the sauce and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
Storage
Substitutions
Serving Suggestions
Watch How to Make It
Related Recipes
Dinner
Lunch
Weeknight dinners
30 minutes or less
High-protein meals
Backyard BBQ
Lamb
Middle Eastern