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An array of hawawshi halves on a wooden serving board garnished with parsley
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4.86 from 57 votes

Arayes (Hawawshi)

A spicy ground beef mixture stuffed in crispy pita bread. This is perfect for parties as well as weekday dinners.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Egyptian, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle East
Diet: Halal
Servings: 14 pita halves
Calories: 210.9kcal
Author: Amira

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion finely diced.
  • 2 garlic cloves minced.
  • 1 bell pepper chopped.
  • ½ cup parsley roughly chopped. Note1
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste.
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • 1 teaspoon coriander.
  • ¾ teaspoon allspice.
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
  • ½ teaspoon paprika.
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom.
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional for heat.
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • 2 pounds ground beef Note2
  • ¼ cup olive oil.
  • 6-7 pita bread loaves.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F.
  • Place a rack on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or you can use a grilling pan if you have it.
  • In a deep bowl combine the first onion, garlic, bell pepper and parsley if using.
  • Add all the spices and mix well to distribute the spice. Check seasonings and adjust accordingly.
  • Add the ground beef and mix well.
  • Warm your pitas in the microwave each for 8 seconds so they will be easier to open.
  • Cut each pita in half and open to make pockets.
  • Stuff each pocket from ¼ to ⅓ cup according to your liking. Brush with oil on both sides.
  • Arrange Arayes on a your baking sheet and bake in the middle of your oven for almost 13-15 minutes turning them once in between so the bread crisps up on both sides.
  • Serve garnished with more parsley.

Video

Notes

Note1: using parsley is optional, but it gives a nice flavor to your ground beef.
Note2: you can use any ground meat you like and you can make it vegetarian using ground mushrooms as well.

Serve with:

Serve these delicious pockets with green salad or Tabouli. It also goes great with tzatziki, hummus, garlic or tahini dip.
 
Please Note: Nutrition facts calculated without the pita bread as it varies greatly from brand to brand. Sodium is based on using 2 teaspoons pink salt, please adjust to the salt you are using.
Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.

Nutrition

Calories: 210.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.3g | Protein: 18.3g | Fat: 13.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 59.4mg | Sodium: 99.2mg | Potassium: 309.5mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 0.8g