Imagine a pancake stuffed with sweet cheese. You may dream that the pancake’s filled with nuts, instead. Then imagine it was drizzled with perfumed syrup while still warm. Garnish it, in your dream, with pistachios and whipped cream. You’re dreaming of qatayef, the fabulous, fabled, Arabian dessert.
Qatayef – also spelled katayif or qatya’if – is traditionally eaten at Ramadan (get our Ramadan vegetarian ideas here), but it’s a treat anytime. In fact, it’s a treat that’s gone through history.
A recipe for qatayif appears in a tenth century Arabic cookbook by the writer Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, who compiled recipes going back to the eighth and ninth centuries. People have been eating qatayif for a very long time.
The filled pancakes are still popular in the Middle East. All over the Levant, people buy qatayif from bakeries and pastry shops, or pick some up from street vendors. They can even buy them frozen and ready to fry at home. So can you; if not at a local Middle Eastern grocery store, then online.
But there’s nothing like home-made, although it does take some time and patience. Plan to cook qatayif on a free morning, or when you need to put your mind on something with gratifying results.
First, make the batter. Choose a nut stuffing or a sweet cheese one (recipes below). Or halve each recipe and have both kinds.
Qatayef, Stuffed Pancakes
An Arabian Dessert
- Blender
- skillet
The Batter:
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1-1/2 cups warm water
- 1-1/2 all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
Nut filling:
- 2 cups finely chopped (toasted walnuts or almonds)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons orange flower water (not the concentrated essence)
- Mix thoroughly.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cheese Filling:
- 13 oz. – 370 grams Mozzarella cheese packed in water
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons rose or orange flower water
The Syrup
- The Syrup:
- 2-1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons rose or orange flower water
The Garnish
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
- Whipped cream
Make the batter:
- Put all ingredients in a blender until you have a smooth batter. Leave the batter in the blender.
- Alternately, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water; add the flour and salt and beat until smooth.
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Cover the batter and leave at room temperature 1 hour. 2 hours is better if you have the time, to allow an appealing fermented flavor to develop.
- While the batter is resting, make the filling and the syrup.
Make the Nut Filling:
-
Mix thoroughly
Make the Cheese Filling:
- Drain the Mozzarella.
-
Put everything through the food processor to make a crumbly mass.
Make the Syrup:
- Boil the sugar, water, and lemon juice until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-8 minutes.
- Add the flower water. Cook a few more seconds.
- Cool the syrup then put it in the fridge.
Fry and Fill The Qatayif
- Blend the rested batter again for a minute, or whip it up if it’s in a bowl. This helps produce the characteristic little holes in the pancakes.
- When the batter’s ready, take the syrup out of the fridge to have it ready.
- Oil a frying pan, preferably non-stick. Start with high heat, then reduce to medium.
-
Pour about 2 tablespoons batter into the pan. Tilt the pan around to spread the batter into a circle, or gently push the batter into a circle shape with the back of a spoon. This is the first, experimental pancake, from which you’ll judge if the temperature is right or needs adjusting. It’s also practice for making the pancake circle. An oval is OK.
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Let the pancake cook until it’s spongy, pocked with bubbles, and detaches from the pan easily. This is done in a few minutes. The bottom may be pale or golden according to your preference. Do not flip the pancake over.
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Transfer the pancakes to a platter and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them pliable.
- Fill the center of each pancake with about 2 tablespoons of your chosen filling.
- Fold it over to make a half-circle.
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Press the edges together well, to keep the filling inside while frying.
- Heat oil to the depth of 1/2” – 1 cm. in a skillet.
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Fry the qatayif on all sides until golden, 2-3 minutes altogether. Some prefer a darker color, but take care not to over-cook because that will harden the qatayif.
- Put the qatayif on a rack to drain or set them on paper towels.
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Dip them in the syrup with tongs or a long spoon while they’re hot. Let the excess syrup drip off. .
- (A tip from the modern pantry: skip the boiled syrup and use your favorite pancake syrup to drizzle generously over the hot qatayif.)
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Garnish with finely chopped pistachios and/or whipped cream. Pass any extra syrup around for those who want more.
Eat, and drift off to qatayif heaven.
Photos by Laila Ibrahim via Serious Eats.
