Arayes | Middle Eastern Pita Meat Pockets

Pita bread stuffed with spiced minced meat filling, baked or toasted to perfection… 

 

 

As we look at the end of Ramadan, the heart is aching and there is a feeling of sadness. We always wait for the best 30 days of the year, but the way it goes is like sand in between your fingers. You don’t even realize how quickly it passes. Alhamdulillah, I am grateful to the Almighty for giving me a better Ramadan, when compared to last year, where I really struggled with everything, thanks to the hectic schedule in my last work place. At that time, I had decided that I wouldn’t be working this Ramadan anywhere, and before I knew it, Allah opened up the doors to keep me as free as possible for this Ramadan. As always, I am not sure if I have done good to do the most I can during this month. There is always a feeling of “not doing enough” while the month slips through your fingers. However the feeling is, let us make sincere dua that Allah accepts all the little things we do, knowingly and unknowingly, and give us the due reward, as we await our fate on the Day, when He assembles all of mankind from start to finish.

 

This is also the time to appreciate and be grateful for all the blessings He has showered us in our life, the small and the big, and make sincere duas for all the people going through hard times, those in private and those in public, thanks to the world that seems to be very unfair at the moment. But we as people of faith, know for sure that nothing lasts forever, and just like Firaun met the most unlikely death that he never expected and how Allah kept him for us as a reminder till the end of the world. all those who think that the world is theirs have already their fate sealed and ready, Bi’iznillah…

 

Even though mine is always a food blog, those who are consistent readers know for sure how I pour out my feelings and thoughts in this little space of mine. It has been a long time since I have literally done that in this space, thanks to writer’s block or whatever is called. But the mind is muddled and the heart aches immensely at the situation of the world. The feeling of helplessness just chews the inside and we are unable to do anything. Alhamdulillah ala kulli haal…

 

 

Meanwhile, something that I have been wanting to make for a really long time and never got around making is the Arayes. It is a shamelessly easy recipe, but I have always been worried about multiple things going wrong in this recipe. Sometimes, I really wonder when I will ever stop my overthinking. This quality of mine has taken away a lot of my precious time and space in my life and head, that sometimes I really want to beat myself. What do I say? After a huge level of procrastination, I made this recipe, and I was shocked beyond at how easy it is and how difficult it is to screw it up.

 

Arayes is a Middle Eastern appetizer which is made in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and other Levant countries with small variation. The pita can be thin or thick, the meat filling can be a couple of spices more or less, but nonetheless, the essense is the same – pita with a slice of meat mixture in it, toasted to perfection and enjoyed immediately. I have placed it as an “entree” but it can be an any-time meal basically – a lazy lunch or dinner, or as a snack, like we enjoyed it after our simple Iftar of fruits and tharikanji. Please don’t forget to pair it with the dip for a delicious layer on top.

 

I kept the filling thin in each pita, so that I wouldn’t be worried about the meat not cooking. But if your pita is the thick ones, it is better to keep the filling thick as well, and cook for a longer time till the filling is done. Otherwise, this is a no fuss recipe. The bottom may get a little soggy when you bake it, but toast it on a stove top to get it crisp. Hmm… I guess that are all the tips I can think. Let’s move to the recipe…