Arayes (Original video)

This recipe demonstrates how to make Arayes, a Middle Eastern dish of pita bread stuffed with spiced ground beef and served with a creamy dip. It's an easy and affordable option for weeknight meals.

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Ingredients:

• 1 block ground beef
• 1 onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 spoonful tomato paste
• fresh herbs (parsley and cilantro)
• olive oil
• ice water
• spices (paprika, allspice, garlic powder, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper)
• pita bread
• Greek yogurt
• lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Meat Mixture: Grate one onion and squeeze out the excess liquid. Combine the grated onion with ground beef in a bowl. Add 5 cloves of minced garlic, tomato paste, chopped fresh herbs, olive oil, ice water, and the displayed spices. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with a spoon until well combined and the mixture turns reddish-brown.
2. Stuff the Pita Bread: Cut pita bread in half to create pockets. Stuff each pita half generously with the meat mixture, using a spoon.
3. Cook the Arayes: Arrange the stuffed pita halves on a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sear the Arayes in a pan for a few minutes until browned. Place the Arayes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare the Dipping Sauce: In a separate bowl, add Greek yogurt. Grate garlic into the yogurt, add chopped cilantro, and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients until well combined.
5. Serve: The finished Arayes are dipped into the creamy sauce and presented on a plate, some cut in half to reveal the filling.