Arayes in the Air Fryer
Crispy pitta breads filled with juicy, spiced lamb mince — a Levantine street food classic that turns out perfectly in the air fryer. Ready in under half an hour and made for eating with your hands.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Brush
- 1 Meat thermometer
Ingredients
Spiced lamb filling
- 500 g lamb mince
- 1 pcs onion Finely chopped
- 2 clove garlic Crushed
- 20 g flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika- 0.5 tsp ground allspice
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt- 0.5 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
Bread and brushing oil
- 4 pcs pitta breads Large and round
- 2 tbsp olive oil For brushing
To serve
- 150 g Turkish yoghurt
- 1 pcs lemon Cut into wedges
- 1 tsp sumac For sprinkling
Instructions
Preparation
- Put 500 g lamb mince in a bowl together with 1 pcs onion, 2 clove garlic and 20 g flat-leaf parsley. Add 1 tbsp tomato purée and knead the mince together well with your hands until it is evenly combined.
- Season the mince with 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 0.5 tsp ground allspice, 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Mix the mince through until the spices are evenly distributed.
- Cut 4 pcs pitta breads in half so you have eight half-moons, and carefully open them into pockets without tearing the edges.
- Divide the mince between the eight pockets and press it out into an even layer about 1 cm thick, right to the edges. A thin layer is cooked through exactly when the bread turns crisp.
- Brush both sides of the filled breads with 2 tbsp olive oil. The oil is what gives them the golden, crisp crust.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 190 °C fan.
- Place the breads in a single layer in the basket so they do not overlap, and bake them for 12 minutes at 190 °C. Turn them after 6 minutes so both sides turn crisp.
- Check with a meat thermometer that the filling is cooked through: the core temperature must be at least 70 °C. Give them 2-3 minutes more at 180 °C if the bread is crisp but the meat is not quite done.
Serving
- Let the arayes rest for 2 minutes, sprinkle them with 1 tsp sumac and serve them hot with 150 g Turkish yoghurt and 1 pcs lemon cut into wedges to squeeze over.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
Press the mince out into a thin, even layer right to the edge — that way the meat is cooked through exactly when the bread turns crisp. Never stack the breads on top of each other in the basket; they need air all the way round to turn really crisp. Extra crispy:
If you want them as crisp as possible, brush the breads with an extra thin layer of oil before you turn them, and give them the last 2 minutes at 200 °C. Variation:
Swap the lamb mince for beef mince, or mix the two half and half for a milder flavour. A tablespoon of finely chopped mint in the mince gives a fresher note. Serving:
Serve with tahini dressing or garlic yoghurt, a simple tomato and cucumber salad and pickled vegetables. Portion size:
If your air fryer is on the small side, you can cook the dish in two batches and keep the first batch warm in the oven at 80 °C.
Press the mince out into a thin, even layer right to the edge — that way the meat is cooked through exactly when the bread turns crisp. Never stack the breads on top of each other in the basket; they need air all the way round to turn really crisp. Extra crispy:
If you want them as crisp as possible, brush the breads with an extra thin layer of oil before you turn them, and give them the last 2 minutes at 200 °C. Variation:
Swap the lamb mince for beef mince, or mix the two half and half for a milder flavour. A tablespoon of finely chopped mint in the mince gives a fresher note. Serving:
Serve with tahini dressing or garlic yoghurt, a simple tomato and cucumber salad and pickled vegetables. Portion size:
If your air fryer is on the small side, you can cook the dish in two batches and keep the first batch warm in the oven at 80 °C.
Nutrition
Calories: 575kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 32gFat: 30gSaturated fat: 11gPolyunsaturated fat: 2.5gMonounsaturated fat: 13gTrans fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 980mgPotassium: 540mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 480IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 4mgNet carbohydrates: 40g
