I have fond memories of Qatayef and variations of it throughout my childhood. My grandma and my grandma’s family originally come from Syria. They also come with amazing traditional food recipes that they have inherited from their mothers and grandmothers. My grandma has four sisters and they all enjoy cooking. It is part of Syrian culture and they are very proud of their cooking. Moreover, Aunt Dunia is the best at making sweets and she is kind enough to teach me this Qatayef recipe. I asked her to teach me this recipe because I love sweets more than food itself. I believe it is special because it is simple.
A pancake textured crepe filled with cream, cheese, or nuts, fried, and later saturated with delicious delicate sweet syrup. Qatayef is a contrast of crunchy outside and soft inside, the cream offsets the sugar coating to give it a balanced flavor. It is a wonderful golden reward after a long day of fasting in Ramadan. This dish has a rich history associated with Ramadan, it is believed that Abb(750–1258CE) and others date it to the Fatimid Dynasty. Traditionalists prepare the dish with the original fillings such as nuts and cheese, while others experiment with modern ingredients such as Nutella and coconut and other non-Arabic food sources but for me, I prefer the traditional classic Qatayef. There are primitive techniques like doing everything manually or opting for technical aid such as a food processor.
There are two methods to prepare Qatayef: one is in the shape of a crescent moon that is fried, and the other is Assafiri Qatayef, which is stuffed with cream and not fried. The filings are dependent on the region and family tradition. The fillings can make it sweet or savory depending on the choice of cream, nuts, or cheese. The basic recipe is malleable enough to allow for substitutions if ingredients cannot be found locally. Since there are three distinct steps in preparation the smells change with each step. The first step projects a sweet pastry bread smell when the tiny pancakes are cooking on the griddle. The second step is deep frying which gives a donut smell and finally dunking in the syrup which emits a super sweet smell. They can be served simply when warm and carefully arranged and adorned with garnishes of pistachio. The etymology of the word means to pick up or pluck, suggesting it is finger food.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups (473 ml) of all-purpose flour.
- 1 cup (237 ml)Semolina.
- 3 Cups (709 ml) of water.
- 3 Tablespoons (44 ml) of sugar.
- 1 Tablespoon (14 ml) of baking powder.
- ¼ Teaspoon (1.2 ml ) baking soda.
- Pinch of salt or 1/16 teaspoon of salt.
- 1 Teaspoon ( 5 ml ) of yeast.
- 2 Cups of (473 ml ) vegetable oil.
- Pistachio for decoration.
Syrup Ingredients:
- 2 Cups(473 ml) of sugar.
- 1 and ¼( 59 ml) Cups of water.
- ½ Tablespoon (7 ml ) squeeze of lemon juice.
- 1 Teaspoon (5 ml ) of rose water.
Filling Ingredients:
- 1 cup (237 ml) crushed walnut.
- Teaspoon (5 ml) of cinnamon.
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) of the syrup or honey.
- 1 cup (237 ml) of cream.
Overall time: 40 minutes.
Servings: 8 People.
Method:
1. Step one, measure out all the ingredients, it is helpful to be organized!
2. Step two, start by making the syrup because we need it to cool down before we dip the Qatayef in it. Add 1 and ¼( 59 ml) cups of water and 2 cups(473 ml) of sugar into a saucepan and stir until boil then low the temperature to low heat and add ½ tablespoon (7 ml ) of a squeeze of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon (5 ml ) of rose water then let it simmer for 10 minutes till it is congealed. Afterward, set it aside and allow it to cool down.
3. Step three, Making the batter! First, sift the flour then combine all the dry ingredients together and mix them together.
4. Step four, add 3 Cups (709 ml) of water into a blender then gradually add the mix of the dry ingredients and let it blend on a high setting until it is liquid. Then the batter will need to rest for about 10 minutes before it is ready to cook.
5. Step five, oil the grilled pan with one tablespoon of vegetable oil using a napkin or a brush, and then pour around ⅛ cups of uniform circles on the pan. Cook the batter only on one side and when the top is covered with bubbles, no longer shiny, and the bottom is a light golden brown it is finished!
6. Step six, prepare the walnut filling. Mix 1 cup (237 ml) crushed walnut, teaspoon (5 ml)
of cinnamon and tablespoons (30 ml) of the Syrup or honey all together.
7. Step seven, fill half of the Qatayef pancakes with cream and the other half with the walnut mix. To fill them up we need enough cream or walnut in the center that would allow the pancakes to comfortably close without tearing; about one teaspoon. Then to close it, we just fold the pancake in half and pinch the sides firmly with fingertips to seal it close.
8. Step eight, add two Cups of (473 ml ) vegetable oil into a deep pan and fry them until golden brown.
9. Step nine, drain the excess oil and dip the fried Qatayef into the syrup.
10. Step ten, line the Qatayef on the plate and garnish with crushed pistachio, and enjoy!
A short TikTok video I made of making my recipe: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTd9e1AmP/