I like to stuff the pita into oblivion. Top Lamb Arayes with yoghurt, parsley, harissa and the quick sumac pickled onions. Be careful not to burn the top of your mouth, these Lamb Arayes with Pickled Onions and Harissa look so good you will find it hard to wait.
Lamb Arayes with Pickled Onions and Harissa Recipe
Makes 8-10 pitas
Ingredients:
10 pita breads, halved
60 ml (2 fl oz/ ¼ cup) olive oil for the pan
Quick Sumac Onions
1 red onion, finely sliced
½ tablespoon sumac
60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) apple-cider vinegar
3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
Stuffing
1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) minced (ground) lamb
3 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup each chopped mint, parsley and coriander (cilantro) leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons each sumac, ground coriander and ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large egg
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
To serve
Yoghurt
Chopped parsley
Harissa paste (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Combine the quick sumac onions ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Place the stuffing mixture ingredients in a bowl and, using your hands, massage well until fully incorporated. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
Very gently open each pita and stuff firmly with the lamb mixture.
Put a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and, once hot, fry each pita, open section down first, for about 3 minutes until golden and crisp, then fry the sides for 1–2 minutes each. Place the pitas on a large roasting tin and pop in the oven for 10–12 minutes until the mince mixture has cooked through.
Transfer the tray straight to your kitchen bench or wherever you may be serving them. Top with yoghurt, parsley, harissa (if using) and the sumac onions. Be careful not to burn the top of your mouth.
Smart Tips:
Don’t skip the quick pickled sumac onions – they really give these a little something-something.
If you are feeding those with a sense of adventure and thirst for heat, a good dose of chilli flakes or harissa through the mince mixture is an added bonus. But leave out as a condiment to add if you have a mixed bag of tastes to feed.
This is an edited extract from Kitchen Keepers by Katrina Meynink published by Hardie Grant Books. Out May 2025, RRP: NZ $45 / AU $40. Photography: Katrina Meynink.
