Arabic-style burgers
Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Photograph by Debby Lewis-Harrison
Arabic-style burgers
Based on a traditional Middle Eastern recipe for arayes, an aromatic mince and couscous mixture is stuffed inside pitta or flatbreads before cooking on a griddle – delicious!
Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
587Kcal
Fat
15gr
Saturates
7gr
Carbs
74gr
Sugars
9gr
Fibre
10gr
Protein
34gr
Salt
0.7gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 100g wholewheat couscous
- 1 lemon, plus extra wedges to serve
- 1 tsp dried mint (or 1 tbsp chopped fresh)
- 1 small red onion
- 200g 10% fat lamb mince
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 pitta breads
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 125g cucumber, diced
- 3 tbsp Greek-style yogurt* to serve
Step by step
- Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl with a pinch of salt and grate in the zest from the lemon. Add the juice of half the lemon. Stir the mint and 150ml of just-boiled water into the couscous. Cover with a plate and leave to stand and swell.
- Reserve a quarter of the red onion for the salad then grate the rest into another bowl. Add the lamb mince, ground cumin and seasoning, then tip in half of the couscous. Mix everything together really well with your hands.
- Preheat a griddle pan or frying pan. Microwave the pittas for about 20 seconds so that they puff up like a balloon. Cut each one into two pockets then divide the lamb mixture between the pockets, smoothing across the opening with a knife. Lightly brush oil all over the pitta pockets then add to the griddle pan or frying pan, stuffed edge down. Cook for about 3 minutes on a medium heat until the meaty filling has developed a good crust, then cook the pittas on each side for about 4 minutes or until the meat has cooked through.
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Meanwhile, finely chop the rest of the red onion and add to the couscous with the tomatoes, cucumber and a squeeze of lemon juice. Divide the salad between 2 plates and serve with the lamb pittas, lemon wedges and some yogurt for dipping, if you like.
*Serve with dairy-free yogurt if required.
