Beef arayes with sumac onions
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Beef arayes with sumac onions
These meat-stuffed pockets are perfect for picnics and can be air-fried from frozen. Ideal for when the sun unexpectedly makes an appearance
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ x 30g pack parsley
- 1 x 500g pack 12% fat beef mince
- 1 tbsp baharat seasoning
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 4 Warburtons White Soft Pittas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp 0% fat Greek yogurt
For the sumac onions
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 tsp sumac
- juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
Step by step
Wrap the uncooked arayes tightly and store in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Cook in the air fryer at 180°C from frozen for about 17 minutes, or defrost fully and griddle as instructed. The sumac onions keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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For the sumac onions, put the onion, sumac and lemon juice in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Gently massage together and stand for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge for a more vibrant colour.
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Put the onion, garlic and parsley in a small food processor or blender, then process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with the beef, baharat, tomato purée and a little salt and pepper. Gently prise open the pitta pockets and stuff with the beef mixture – the filling should be about 1½-2cm thick. If making ahead, see ‘Get ahead’. If eating right away, cut each pitta in half and brush all over with the olive oil.
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Heat a cast iron pan or griddle over a medium heat. In batches, cook the arayes for about 5-6 minutes on each side, pressing down with a spatula, until the meat is cooked through and the pittas are golden. You can sear the exposed meat edges against the pan for a further minute or until a nice crust forms. Alternatively, cook at 190°C in an air fryer for about 12 minutes, until cooked through. Let stand for 5 minutes while you mix the tahini and yogurt with a pinch of salt.
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Serve the stuffed pittas on a platter with the sumac onions, tahini yogurt and lemon wedges.
