4 hearty lunches that don't require a plate
Open, fill, add flavors and devour: a meal in a pita is one of the most Israeli and most satisfying lunches there is, and it's not reserved only for street food stalls. Here are some particularly delicious recipes that will turn a pita (or lafa, or baguette) into a complete meal that will make any hungry person happy.
Chicken thigh shawarma
It is surprising to discover how easy it is to recreate favorite street food dishes at home. In this recipe, chicken thighs are marinated in a fragrant spice mixture, seared until golden, sliced thinly, and thrown into a pita or wrapped in a lafa. This is a dish that will satisfy any craving for a shawarma shop meal—juicy, roasted, and topped with your favorites. Anyone can do it.
Open Arayes
Here is a cool trick for a dish that feels exactly like street food and comes out crispy and insanely good: season the meat well, spread it directly on the pita, and sear in a pan with the meat side down until everything is crispy and well-seared. Transfer to a plate, add tahini and your favorite toppings, and you have not only solved the lunch problem but earned some serious praise.
Cauliflower shawarma
Slice cauliflower, brown it with onions and spices, and voilà—it gets the flavors of your favorite shawarma stand, minus the meat. Load it into a pita, lafa, or baguette, add tahini and amba generously, and you get a perfect recipe for vegetarians and those who just love cauliflower. The best part? It only takes 20 minutes of work.
Pita with ground meat, tahini, and pepper sauce
What happens when you combine ground meat in a pita? You get a kind of Israeli bolognese. When you season juicy ground meat, add raw tahini, spicy green pepper sauce, and top it all with a soft fried egg, you get an addictive dish in just half an hour that looks like a chef's creation. You won't find this in takeout.
Bon appétit!
