The month of Ramadan, as it is a month of spirituality and religious rituals, is also the month of rituals, customs, popular foods, and Arabic sweets. Qatayef is made in the form of a crescent moon relative to the crescent of the month of fluorescence, and it is eaten after breakfast and at Suhoor as well.

the first person to eat Qatayef was the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman bin Abdul Malik in Ramadan, and there are many stories about naming Qatayef by this name. Indeed, this dish dates back to the Fatimid era, as the chefs were competing in the Preparing types of sweets in the holy month, and Qatayef pie was among these sweets, and it was beautifully prepared and decorated with nuts and presented on a large plate.

Qatayef is a well-known dessert in the Middle East and is mostly made during Ramadan in the Arab World. This middle eastern recipe is quite fabulous and simple.

Qatayef – arabian yeasted pancake filled … – License Images – 13407969 ❘ StockFood

Qatayef with cream

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Breakfast, General
Cuisine Egyptian Recipes
Servings 3 People
Calories 266 kcal

Ingredients
  

Dough (about 30 Qatayef’s, about ½ medium and ½ mini)

  • 1 cup white all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup coarse semolina
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • cup warm water ½ cup water for ½ cup milk

Rose Water Syrup for Walnut and Cheese Qatayef

  • cups white sugar
  • cups hot water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice,
  • 2 tablespoons rose (orange blossom) water
  • 1 tablespoons flower water (optional)

Rose Water Syrup for Qatayef Asafiri

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cups hot water
  • teaspoon lemon juice,
  • 2 tablespoons rose (orange blossom) water
  • 1 tablespoons flower water (optional)

Walnut Stuffing

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ tablespoon cinnamon .
  • 1 tablespoon rosewater (optional),

White cheese

  • 300g sweetened white cheese (Nabulsia) or ricotta cheese

Cooked Cream (Kashta) for mini Qatayef (Asafiri)

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup liquid whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon starch
  • 1 tablespoon white flour
  • 1 tablespoon flower water
  • 1 tablespoon rose water

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend until well-combined. Dough will have a liquid consistency.
  • Pour the dough into a bowl. Cover with lightly wet kitchen towel for between for one hour. The dough will rise increase in size.
  • Pre-heat a non-greased skillet over medium-high heat or an electric griddle using the flat griddle.
  • To prepare medium size Qatayef to be stuffed with walnuts or cheese use the ½ measuring cup. However, to prepare mini (Asafiri) Qatayef to be stuffed with cooked cream (Kashta) use the ¼ measuring cup.
  • On medium heat, pour several ½ cup or ¼ cup of dough depending on the size of skillet or the griddle. Keeping the Qatayef about ½ inch apart.
  • Keep Qatayef without turning, a lot of bubbles should appear on surface. If bubbles did not appear, it means that the batter does have the right consistency. It can be fixed by adding more water to batter as it might be too thick. Do so in ¼ cup additions, whisk and try again.
  • If you add water and you did only get a few bubbles, then the baking powder you are using is old. Add 1 more teaspoon of baking powder, which and try again.
  • Once the surface is dry and no longer shiny, this means that Qatayef is done. The time depends on the size of the Qatayef, the mini ones take about 1 minute, whereas the medium ones 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove the Qatayef onto a clean kitchen towel and cover to prevent from drying out. It is preferred to keep them to slightly cool and start stuffing.

Rose Water Syrup for Any Type of Qatayef

  • Add the sugar and hot water into a small saucepan.
  • Heat on medium until the water boils.
  • Add the lemon juice.
  • Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes until reaches syrup consistency.
  • Add rose and flower water to the syrup. Remove from heat.

Walnut Stuffing

  • Process or preferably pulse walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, rose water in a small food processor until coarsely chopped. Going the walnuts until coarse.
  • When the Qatayef slightly cool, stuff them immediately.
  • Lay out the Qatayef with the bubbly side facing up, fill each Qatayef center with enough walnuts that would allow the Qatayef to close without tearing; about a heaping spoon.
  • Fold the Qatayef in half and pinch the sides firmly with your fingertips to seal; forming a half-moon shape. Or hold the Qatayef in your hand, pinch one end closed, spoon the filling in, then seal the rest of the edge. Do not overfill the Qatayef to prevent cracks on the sides.
  • Cover the filled Qatayef with plastic wrap until ready to bake. Or at this point, you could freeze them for later use.
  • Bake the Qatayef right before eating them so they stay nice and crispy.

Baking Walnut Stuffed Qatayef

  • Lightly spread or brush a baking dish with ghee or vegetable or butter oil.
  • Lay out the stuffed Qatayef, top each Qatayef with a small piece of ghee or butter.
  • Bake in (450F/225C) oven for 10 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to (350F/177C) and turn each Qatayef and continue baking for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden light browned.
  • Remove from oven; in the same baking dish, add about ½ cup (or as desired) of the cold prepared syrup for about 6 Qatayef
  • Turn each hot Qatayef more than once. Serve right away.

Cheese Stuffing

  • Chop the soft Nabulsi cheese into small pieces. If the ricotta is used skip this step.
  • When the Qatayef slightly cool, stuff them immediately.
  • Lay out the Qatayef with the bubbly side facing up, fill each Qatayef center with enough cheese that would allow the Qatayef to close without tearing; about a heaping spoon.
  • Fold the Qatayef in half and pinch the sides firmly with your fingertips to seal; forming a half-moon shape. Or hold the Qatayef in your hand, pinch one end closed, spoon the filling in, then seal the rest of the edge. So no overfill the Qatayef to prevent cracks on the sides.
  • Cover the filled Qatayef with plastic wrap until ready to fry. Or at this point, you could freeze them for later use.

Frying Cheese Stuffed Qatayef

  • Fry the Qatayef right before eating them so they stay nice and crispy.
  • In a bowl pour the cold prepared syrup.
  • In a frying pan or a sauce pan, pour enough vegetable oil to fill about 2 inches/5 cm high over medium-high heat.
  • Fry the Qatayef about 3 minutes each side until crisp golden brown.
  • Transfer Qatayef to drain on paper towel for few seconds (optional).
  • Dip the Qatayef in the prepared cooled syrup.
  • Toss each Qatayef and turn to coat completely with syrup. Serve right away.

Cooked Cream Stuffing (Kashta)

  • Add all ingredient except the rose and flower water into a saucepan.
  • On medium heat, whisk the ingredients until the cream thickens.
  • Stir in the rose and flower water. Remove from heat
  • When the cooked cream cools slightly, cover with plastic until completely cooled.
  • Use to stuff the mini (Asafiri) Qatayef and keep any remaining quantity in the fridge up to a week. It can be used for later in Qatayef or many middle eastern desserts.
  • Hold a mini (Asafiri) Qatayef in your hand, fold the Qatayef into half circle and seal ½ of the half circle.
  • With a small spoon, fill the opening with the cooked cream (Kashta).
  • Dip the side filled with cream in the ground pistachio.
  • Add about ¼ teaspoon of lemon blossom jam on top of the pistachio.
  • Arrange in a serving plate. Drizzle some prepared rosewater syrup.
  • Serve with the remaining rosewater syrup on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcalFat: 8gProtein: 9gCarbohydrates: 11g
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