~ MCARABIA ~

Valencia Mackie said “never to give advise unless you have walked the walk, because anyone can talk the talk”, well conceding with her, I strongly advice you to try this recipe. When you read McArabia, the first thing that comes to mind is the glitz and glam of the Middle East. Growing up in the middle East is an experience like no other, the glamour of life mesmerizes you. The food ofcourse, is no different. Everything from Za’atr bread to Shawarma wraps to Al-baik to Mandi and Kabsa to Taboulie to Mutabbaq and Baba Ganoush and the list goes on, everything is captivating in presentation and flavour. It is honestly a royal food fest. McArabia, is just a small yet extremely delectable piece of the phenomenal Arab culinary world. The past decade in particular has seen the Middle East’s cuisine global profile skyrocket. The food is rich, wholesome, healthy, fresh and aromatic. 

The most exotic thing about Middle Eastern food is that you will never have only one favourite, there will always be a long list. When it comes down to me to pick a favourite, I would pack up the whole middle eastern cuisine in a box and take it home with me. So, while everyone has their favourite picks, mine out of many, is McArabia. 

This is a wrap which gorgeously cooks and outstandingly looks. The aroma wafting from the grilled patties, cheese and veggies enthrals you. The warm Pita bread with moist and juicy patties blanketed by hummus and garlic sauce and the crunch from the onion rings and lettuce just makes you drunk on it as it would seem “all sorrows seem less with bread”.  Occasionally you will feel a tangy pop in your mouth as a result of the pomegranate seeds that just accords with the rest of the flavours in the wrap. Ofcourse, the filling is entirely dependant on individual preference. You can add any compliments to the wrap, be it, cucumber, tomatoes, gherkins, onion, pickled beet root etc. and for sauces, ofcourse again, this can be made with any i.e. garlic mayo, hummus and I would sometimes enjoy this with a bit of tatziki sauce as well. Nevertheless, my favourite out of all is the garlic sauce, because let’s face it, What is Arab food without some garlic sauce and as Jean Anthelme said, “tomato and oregano make it Italian, wine and tarragon make it French, Sour cream make it Russian, Cinnamon and Lemon make it Greek , Soya Sauce make it Chinese, Garlic makes it good”. 

Moving onto the recipe, it is super easy and uber delicious and it proffers a whole new world of beguilingly sensational flavours. I love M.F.K. Fishers “the art of eating” where he avers, “Like most humans, I am hungry- our three basic needs for food, security and for love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and The hunger for it”. Hence, For the love of food, I love this wrap. 

How gorgeously inviting is that.

Serves 4

Ingredient~

1/2 kg Chicken/Beef mince 

Oil to shallow fry 

4 Pita Breads 

4 Cheese Slices 

Patty Mix ~ 

1 Onion finely chopped 

4 cloves finely chopped 

1 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder 

1 tsp 5 spice Powder 

1 tsp Sumac (optional)

1 tsp Dried Parsley 

a small handful of Fresh Parsley 

Veggie Fixings ~ 

Cucumber 

tomatoes 

Onion 

Pickled cucumber or gherkin 

Shredded Lettuce 

Pomogrenate seeds (optional) 

Garlic Mayo Sauce ~ 

1/2 cup Mayonnaise 

1 tsp Garlic crushed 

1 tsp Tahini Paste 

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper 

1 tbsp of Yogurt 

Hummus ~
200g Chickpeas boiled 

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Garlic cloves crushed 

1 tsp Ground Cumin 

1 tbsp Tahini Paste 

4 tbsp Water 

1 tbsp Yogurt

a pinch of Salt 

Method ~ 

• In a food processor, blend together the mince meat with all the ingredients listed under the Patty Mix. 
• Shape the mince in a Patty and shallow fry it for 4 minutes on each side or until they are fully cooked through. 
• Warm up the Pita and Open it’s pocket.
• Spread hummus and garlic sauce on one side and place two patties on top. 
• Top this with cucumber, tomatoes, onions (all cut up in rings), shredded lettuce, pomegranate seeds (optional) or any fixing of your liking like French fries, gherkin or pickled beetroot.
• Top this all of with a cheese slice.
• Wrap it in foil and serve. 

Happy Foodieating ~