Grilled pitta stuffed with sumac-spiced meat
These stuffed, spiced meat sandwiches are found across the Middle East and the Levant where they're known as arayes. Try them with a crunchy, tahini-dressed salad.
This recipe is taken from The Nutmeg Trail by Eleanor Ford (£26, Murdoch Books).
Eleanor says: 'A wonderful addition to the kebab culinary canon and a reversal of the usual order of things, as meat is wedged into pita bread before being griddled. In Arabic, arayes means ‘brides’ and here she is, the delicately spiced filling, enveloped in the arms of her groom, the bread. The marriage is undeniably burger-like but even quicker to prepare and with enticing sour and smoky notes from the sumac and paprika.'
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 450g of beef mince
- 1 tbsp of tomato purée, (heaped)
- 1 tbsp of toasted pine nuts, (heaped)
- 1 tsp sumac, (heaped)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, (heaped)
- 3/4 tsp allspice powder
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 pitta breads
- 3 tbsp of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- olive oil, for brushing
- pomegranate molasses, to serve
Method
Mix together the minced meat, tomato paste, pine nuts, spices, salt and parsley
- 450g of beef mince
- 1 tbsp of tomato purée, (heaped)
- 1 tbsp of toasted pine nuts, (heaped)
- 1 tsp sumac, (heaped)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, (heaped)
- 3/4 tsp allspice powder
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Cut the pitta breads down one side and spread the filling in each in a thin and even layer. Brush the outsides with olive oil
- 4 pitta breads
- olive oil, for brushing
Heat a griddle pan to medium–high. Grill the pitas, pressing down with a spatula and flipping occasionally. A quarter turn in the pan will give you crisscross markings. They will probably take about 8–10 minutes in total, depending on your bread and how rare you like your meat. The pita should be well toasted and the meat cooked to a juicy pink or well done
Serve hot, drizzled with pomegranate molasses
- pomegranate molasses, to serve
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