Spiced BEEF AND Chickpea-Stuffed Pitas “Kawarma”
- 15m Prep Time
- 22m Cook Time
- 37m Ready In
A Lebanese-inspired dish combining spiced ground beef and chickpeas stuffed into pita pockets with fresh herbs, currants, and yogurt. It's a flavorful, slightly sweet, and fresh meal that fits neatly in pita bread.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1/4 cup currants
- 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 4 pita breads sliced in half
- 4 large lettuce leaves
- 1 large tomato sliced
- Plain Greek yogurt
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 13 of 18 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 301 mg
- Iron: 5.18 mg
- Magnesium: 73.4 mg
- Phosphorus: 289 mg
- Potassium: 787 mg
- Zinc: 2.37 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1/4 cup currants
- 4 large lettuce leaves
- Plain Greek yogurt
Prepare
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Mince 3 clove garlic
- Chop 2 tbsp fresh mint
- Chop 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 4 pita breads, sliced in half
- Slice 1 large tomato
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces with a large spoon, and cook until just browned, about 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat or liquid from the skillet.
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Step 2.
Stir in the rinsed chickpeas and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas start to brown slightly, about 8 minutes more. If the mixture begins to scorch the bottom of the skillet, reduce the heat slightly and add a splash of water.
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Step 3.
Add the tomato paste, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Step 4.
Pour in the chicken broth (or water) and add the currants. Stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture is almost dry, about 5 minutes.
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Step 5.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Fold in the chopped fresh mint and cilantro until evenly distributed.
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Step 6.
Spoon the beef and chickpea mixture into the halved pita breads. Add a lettuce leaf and a slice of tomato to each pita. Dollop with plain Greek yogurt and serve immediately.