Arayes (Spicy Lebanese Lamb Pittas)

Recipe

Serves: 3/6 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 40 minutes

Lebanese | Lunch or part of a main dish

Ingredients

For the Arayes:

• 350g Minced Lamb
• 1 medium Onion, finely diced
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 1 Garlic Clove, diced
• ¼ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Paprika
• ¼ tsp Mixed Spice
• ¼ tsp Chilli Powder
• A pinch of Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
• 10g Parsley, chopped To serve:200g Halloumi, cut into cubes
• 3 Pitta Breads, cut in half
• 1 Red Onion, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 3 tbsp Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds
• 5g Chopped Parsley  

For the chilli dressing:

• 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
• ½ tsp Smoked Paprika  

You will need a loaf tin or oven proof rectangular dish around 22 x 12cm.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6.
2. Take the red onion and place it in a ramekin, cover with vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and allow this to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight for a brighter colour.
3. Mix up the chilli dressing in a small bowl.
4. Take a bowl and mix all the Arayes ingredients together. Fill the pitta breads and griddle them in a hot pan for 5 minutes on each side.
5. Brush the pittas with a little olive oil and transfer to a rectangular baking dish or lined loaf tin and cook in the oven for around 25 minutes until the lamb is cooked through.
6. Cover with foil for the first 15 minutes, then remove this to allow the edges to crisp up.
7. Whilst these are cooking, fry the halloumi cubes in a hot pan for one minute on each side.
8. Top the Arayes with yogurt, pickled onions, pomegranate seeds, halloumi and parsley. Serve them straight from the tray.