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Lentil Arayes
Arayes are a popular street food across the Middle East - pitta breads stuffed with a spiced meat mixture, then griddled until golden and crispy. This is my plant-based twist, using spiced lentils instead, stuffed thick and cooked until golden. Serve them with a drizzle of tahini sauce or alongside a herby tabbouleh for a more complete meal.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- olive oil
- onion, peeled + finely chopped
- garlic cloves, peeled + finely chopped
- red pepper, finely chopped
- tomato purée
- smoked paprika
- ground cumin
- ground allspice
- tin of green lentils, drained
- carrot, grated
- dark soy sauce
- fresh parsley, chopped
- breadcrumbs, we use panko
- salt + pepper
- pittas, see tips
- tahini
- lemon, juice only
Method
- 1
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes until beginning to soften and colour.
- 2
Stir in the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
- 3
Add the tomato purée, paprika, cumin and allspice. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.
- 4
Meanwhile, rinse the lentils under cold water and shake off as much water as possible. Transfer to a bowl and mash until most have broken down.
- 5
Add the lentils to the pan along with the carrot, soy sauce, most of the parsley (reserving a small handful for serving), breadcrumbs and pinches of salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- 6
Slice the pittas in half. Lightly toast them if needed so they open up in the middle, then stuff generously with the hot lentil mixture.
- 7
Wipe out the pan, then return to a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the arayes cut side down and cook for 1-2 minutes or until lightly charred, brushing any oil from the pan over the arayes as they cook. Turn and cook on the remaining sides for a few more minutes until golden and toasted all over.
- 8
Meanwhile, add the tahini and lemon juice to a bowl with a small pinch of salt. Stir in cold water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- 9
Serve the arayes with the tahini sauce and remaining parsley.
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Community reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 from 7 reviews
- Poppy
“A-mazing. So filling (may have made too much for 1 so saving the left over filling for tomorrow!) Simple, quicker than I expected, good flavours and comforting. Definitely making again.”
- Tamara
“It’s absolutely amazing. I would say it’s my boyfriend’s and my favorite dish, which we could eat every day.”
- novice
“delicious! We swapped out the soy and didn’t add the salt to reduce the sodium but there delights were devoured by the kids and all! just perfect”
- Davis
“Splitting pitas was a bit tricky. the tip to heat them was really good.”
- Mike
“Really enjoyed this one. I would say it’s a bit of a veggie burger with the texture and taste. Would recommend!”