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Authentic Qatayef Recipe Egypt, Africa

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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

One of the most recognizable Ramadan sweets, qatyef is a stuffed pancake that is either fried or baked, but can also be left uncooked after it’s been stuffed. However, unlike regular pancakes, Arabic pancake qatyef is only baked on one side, which leaves the other side bubbly and soft, perfect for soaking up the delicious filling. The traditional fillings include sweetened clotted cream eshta, nuts like pistachio, hazelnuts, or pine nuts, while savory qatayef is usually filled with cheese, or left plain and served with soups. The basic batter for the pancakes is made with only flour, yeast, baking powder, salt, and water, but older recipes will also include semolina flour. Milk, whole wheat flour, sugar, oil, and various flavorings such as orange blossom water or rosewater are also common in recipes. Once filled, then baked or fried, qatayef is either dipped in or drizzled with syrup. Depending on their size, qatayef can be classified into three categories —... Read more

Main ingredients

Cooking tips

  • syrup

    When preparing the syrup, one thing to keep in mind is that it should not be overly stirred, just enough so the sugar can dissolve. Once the syrup starts boiling, and you add the lemon juice, stop stirring completely, or your syrup will turn cloudy. Other flavorings such as orange blossom water and rosewater are added near the end of cooking. It's best to make the syrup first, as it needs time to ... Read more

  • the batter

    There are several ways you can prepare the batter for qatayef pancakes. The most common way is to activate the yeast first and then add it to the flour. The liquid should be poured in last and gradually while whisking continuously. The other way is to mix the dry and the wet ingredients separately and then combine the two. Whichever method you choose, the covered batter should always have time to ... Read more

  • the bubbles

    If the bubbles do not appear on the surface of the pancake as it cooks, one of two things is not right. Either the batter is too thick, and you need to dilute it with water, or the baking powder has lost its efficiency, in which case you need to add a teaspoon of fresh baking powder. It's important that you add water in small batches, no more than 1/4 cup (60 ml) at a time so the batter does not thin ... Read more

  • method

    The pan should be heated over medium-low heat, never higher than that, or the pancakes will brown too quickly and dry out, making it very probable they will not seal properly and will break once filled. Also, it's important that you keep the finished pancakes covered while you bake the rest. This will help keep them fresh, soft, and pliable until you are ready to fill them. Do not stack the pancakes,... Read more

  • nut filling

    There are no rules as to what kinds of nuts you can use for the filling. Walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, a combination of nuts, or whatever sweet mixture tickles your fancy.

  • eshta clotted cream

    One of the traditional qatayef fillings is the Arabic clotted cream eshta, but you can use kaymak, mascarpone, or mozzarella instead. Also, you can make eshta from scratch by following one of the recipes outlined here.

  • make ahead

    You can prepare the qatayef well in advance. Once filled, place the qatayef on a flat plate and freeze them. Once frozen, transfer them into a bag, and put the bag back into the freezer, where they will keep for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when ready to prepare, then fry or bake the following day.

  • serving & storage

    Because it will turn soggy very quickly, clotted cream qatayef should be eaten immediately once prepared, while the qatayef with a nut filling can sit for longer, but no longer than an hour after it's been made.

Recipe variations

Qatayef I

PREP 45min

COOK 1h

READY IN 1h 45min

3.5

Rate It

Adapted from www.arabiczeal.com, this recipe gives instructions on how to prepare a nut-filled qatayef. Unlike most stuffed qatayef recipes where stuffed pancakes are fried, here they are baked. The recipe also includes instruction on how to make the syrup in which qatyef is dipped after baking.

Ingredients

9 Servings

Qatayef I

FOR THE PANCAKE BATTER

1 sachet active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1½ cups warm water

1½ cups flour

a pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING

1 cup chopped walnuts

4 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

FOR THE SYRUP

1 ¼ cups cold water

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp orange blossom water or rosewater

1/3 cup melted clarified butter (or regular butter), for baking

Preparation

1

Qatayef I

Step 1/9

First, make the syrup. Cook water and sugar in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, add lemon juice and continue to boil the syrup for 12 minutes over medium-low heat. It’s important that you do not stir the syrup once it begins to boiling, as that will turn the syrup cloudy. After 12 minutes have passed, add the orange blossom water or rosewater, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and wait until it cools completely.

Step 2/9

Dissolve sugar and yeast in ¼ cup of warm water, then sift the flour directly into a large mixing bowl. Next, pour in the remaining water and the yeast mixture, and add salt. Whisk until well blended, and there are no lumps in the batter. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and store in a warm place for an hour so the batter can rise.

Step 3/9

Lightly grease a heavy-bottomed frying pan then heat it over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the batter to blend all the ingredients that have separated. Also, check to see if the batter is too thick, as you may need to add a few tablespoons of water to get the right consistency.

Step 4/9

Pour a 1/4 cup portion of batter into the pan, then spread it into a circle, taking care that you get a pancake 10cm in diameter. Bubbles will appear on its surface as it cooks, but the pancake is done when the top is no longer shiny. Place the pancake on a clean towel cooked side down to cool, and cover it with a clean cloth while you cook the rest of the batter. You can also cook multiple pancakes at the same time.

Step 5/9

Combine all the ingredients for the filling.

Step 6/9

To fill the pancakes, first, lay the pancake cooked side down and place about 1 tbsp of the filling in the center of the pancake. Fold the pancake in half, and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat this step with the remaining pancakes. Arrange the pancakes on a baking tray and cover them with a clean cloth until you are ready to bake them, up to several hours.

Step 7/9

Meanwhile, set the oven to preheat to 180°C, then brush the pancakes on both sides with melted clarified butter.

Step 8/9

If you prefer a softer qatayef, bake in the oven for 15 minutes. In case you'd like your gatayef crunchier, bake for 20 minutes, flipping them over after 10 minutes.

Step 9/9

While still hot, shortly dip each qatayef in syrup. Arrange the still warm qatayef pancakes on a platter and serve with extra syrup on the side.

Rating And Comments

3.5

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