• WordPress

Arayes is seasoned ground meat spread thin over a tortilla (or stuffed inside a pita) and then fried till crispy. It is a Middle Eastern dish with many many different versions-but they all have one thing in common-they’re delicious!

Arayes can be made with a variety of ground meat, such as lamb, beef, or even chicken. Beef is the most common ground meat while lamb would be more flavorful.

Start by making the meat mixture. Place ground beef in a bowl and set aside. In a blender or food processor, add onion, garlic, parsley, and jalapeño. Blend. This can be a paste or it can be left chunky, it’s a personal preference! I blend mind till smooth. You can alternatively even chop these all by hand.

Add your blend to the bowl of ground meat and mix well by hand, massaging the flavors into the meat. Add salt and black pepper and mix that in too. You now have a kofta mixture! You can use this exact meat mixture to make kabobs and patties too.

To make the Arayes, place tortillas down and grab a handful of meat. Place it on the tortilla and start pressing it down by hand. Continue to press and spread until it’s a thin layer spread evenly out onto the tortilla. Continue to do this to each tortilla until the meat mixture is finished. 2 pounds of of beef makes about 15 Arayes.

Now, heat a little oil in a pan over high heat and place the Arayes, meat side down, right inside. Cook for about a minute before flipping over. Then cook for an additional minute until the tortilla is crispy. Continue to cook the Arayes one by one until finished. Drain excess oil on a plate covered with paper towels.

Top Arayes with whatever you like! Some options include but are not limited to: cucumbers, onion slices, parsley, cilantro, peppers, and tomato. Serve warm and enjoy!

Ingredients

Makes about 15 Arayes

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 1 jalapeño
• Salt and black pepper
• Tortillas (flour or corn)
• Optional toppings: cucumber, onion, tomato, parsley

Directions

1. Place onion, garlic, parsley, and jalapeño in a blender and blend

2. Add beef and blended onion mixture to a bowl and combine by hand

3. Place about 1/4 cup of meat on top of a tortilla and press and spread down by hand until it becomes a thin even layer

4. Fry on high heat for a minute on each side. Then drain on a paper towel lined plate

5. Top with cucumbers, onion, parsley, tomatoes, and whatever else you like. Serve warm and enjoy!