Qatayef

Ingredients

Batter

• 250 gplain flour
• 50 gfine semolina
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tspinstant yeast
• ½ tspbaking powder
• ½ tspsalt
• 600 mlwarm water

Nut filling

• 250 gwalnuts, chopped
• 80 gsugar
• 1 tspcinnamon
• 1 tbsporange blossom water

Cheese filling

• 400 gakkawi or fresh mozzarella, desalted and grated

Cream filling

• 400 gashta or clotted cream, for the unfried version

Syrup

• 400 gsugar
• 250 mlwater
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 1 tbsprose water
• 1 tbsporange blossom water

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

To finish

• crushed pistachios

Directions

1. Make the syrup first and let it go completely cold. Boil the sugar, water and lemon juice for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened, then take it off the heat and add the flower waters.
2. Add the rose and orange blossom off the heat, because boiling drives the perfume straight off. Cool the syrup completely, because the temperature difference at the end matters.
3. Add the warm water gradually, whisking, into a very thin smooth batter. It should be much thinner than a pancake batter, roughly like single cream. Rest the batter 45 minutes in a warm place, until the surface is covered in bubbles. Stir it very gently before using and do not beat it.
4. Heat a flat non-stick pan over a medium heat and wipe it with the barest trace of oil, or use none at all. Pour small ladlefuls to make discs of about 8 cm. Cook until the entire surface is set and dry with no wet batter anywhere, about 90 seconds. Do not turn it.
5. Wait until the top is completely matt before lifting it, because lifted early the surface is still wet and it will not seal later. Stack them under a cloth as they come off, which keeps them soft. Fill and seal them while they are still warm and pliable. Cooled qatayef go dry and refuse to close, which is why vendors sell them warm in bags.
6. Put a spoonful of filling on the cooked side, fold the disc in half, and pinch the edges firmly together from one end to the other. Pinch the whole seam properly. For the nut and cheese versions, seal them fully and deep fry at 175°C for 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden.
7. Lift them straight from the oil into the cold syrup for 30 seconds, then out onto a rack. Hot pastry into cold syrup, always. Serve warm, dusted with crushed pistachios.

Technique

• Ready-made qatayef discs are sold fresh throughout Ramadan and almost everyone buys them.
• Akkawi cheese must be soaked to remove its salt before use.
• The nut version keeps a day, and the cream version must be eaten immediately.

Substitutions

• Ready-made qatayef pancakes from a Middle Eastern shop.
• Ricotta mixed with a little clotted cream in place of ashta.

Variations

• Qatayef asafiri, small and open with cream.
• Baked rather than fried, which is lighter.
• With a coconut or date filling.

History

Made only in Ramadan, when vendors set up griddles to sell the plain discs by the bag for filling at home.

Frequently asked questions

What is Qatayef?

Qatayef is a dessert from Egypt: stuffed pancakes filled with nuts or cream, fried or served fresh in syrup. Made only in Ramadan, when vendors set up griddles to sell the plain discs by the bag for filling at home.

How long does Qatayef take to make?

Qatayef takes 30 min plus 45 min resting of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 24. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Qatayef?

Yes, within limits. Ready-made qatayef pancakes from a Middle Eastern shop. Ricotta mixed with a little clotted cream in place of ashta.

What is the most important thing to get right in Qatayef?

Add the warm water gradually, whisking, into a very thin smooth batter. It should be much thinner than a pancake batter, roughly like single cream. Rest the batter 45 minutes in a warm place, until the surface is covered in bubbles. Stir it very gently before using and do not beat it.