5 pita bread , the thin pocket type, ~15cm/6" diameter (250g/8oz pack), cut in half
Olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil)
Spiced meat filling:
0.5 brown onion
500g/ 1 lb lamb or beef mince (ground meat) (Note 2)
2 garlic cloves , finely grated
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley , optional
3 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp smoked paprika (sub plain paprika)
0.75 tsp ground allspice (sub mixed spice)
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (reduce/omit for less spicy – Note 4)
1.25 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Whipped tahini yogurt sauce:
250 g plain yogurt
2 tbsp tahini (or Chinese sesame paste – Note 5)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove , finely grated
0.5 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Instructions
Spiced meat filling:
Grate the onion in a bowl using a standard box grater. We want the juices and all! (Note 4)
Meat filling – Add remaining meat filling ingredients. Mix well with your hands.
Divide stuffing in 10 (about 55 to 60g per portion, 1/4 cup). Flatten into a semi-circle shape slightly smaller than the pita bread half.
Stuff – Gently open a pita then place the meat inside. Close, then press to spread to the edge and make it fairly evenly flat. (Is your pita tearing? See Note 5 for tip!)
Cooking Arayes:
Preheat oven to 50C/120F. Place a rack on a tray. (To keep cooked Arayes warm.)
Cook – Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Spray both sides of the pita with olive oil then place 2 or 3 pieces in the pan (whatever you can fit). Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until golden and crispy. The meat is spread so thin it cooks really quickly! {Sandwich press – Note 7}
Keep warm – Transfer cooked Arayes onto the rack and put in the oven to keep warm. Cook remaining pita.
Serve – Cut in half if desired (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't!). Pile Arayes onto a serving platter. Serve with Whipped Tahini sauce. Enjoy!
Whipped tahini sauce:
Place ingredients in a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Microwave for 15 seconds on high. Whisk again – it should resemble soft whipped cream. Use slightly warm or at room temperature.