Authentic Arabic & Levantine Recipes
Qatayef Recipe (Atayef): Homemade Ramadan Stuffed Pancakes with Qishta Cream or Walnuts
Qatayef (or atayef) are the signature dessert of Ramadan across the Levant and Egypt. Poured onto a dry griddle and cooked on one side only until bubbly on top and golden underneath, the soft rounds are pinched into cones filled with cool qishta cream and pistachios, or sealed around spiced walnuts and fried crisp.
Also known as:Qatayef asafiri with qishta creamFried or baked walnut qatayef (atayef)Middle Eastern Ramadan stuffed pancakes
Servings6
Prep time25 min
Cook time25 min
Ingredients
Add all ingredients to cart- For the batter: 250 g plain flour, 80 g extra-fine semolina, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp ground mahlab and 550 ml warm water
- Right before griddling: 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- For Qatayef Asafiri (unfried cream cones): 2 cans of 170 g each (340 g total) creamy qishta and crushed green pistachios
- Or for crispy walnut Qatayef: 150 g chopped walnuts, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp orange blossom water (plus melted ghee for baking or oil for frying)
- For the cold sugar syrup (qatr): 400 g sugar, 200 ml water, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp orange blossom water
Preparation Steps
- 1Make the sugar syrup first: boil the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan for 10 minutes until thick and glossy, stir in the orange blossom water and leave to cool completely.
- 2For the qatayef batter: blend the flour, fine semolina, sugar, yeast, baking powder, mahlab and warm water in a blender for 1 minute until smooth, cover and let rest for 20 minutes; then stir in the baking soda and orange blossom water.
- 3Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium heat with no oil or butter at all, pour small rounds of batter and cook in batches for 10 minutes total (about 1 minute per pancake on one side only) until fine bubbles pop across the top, the pale surface looks completely dry and the underside is golden with a pale rim; transfer immediately under a clean kitchen towel.
- 4For Qatayef Asafiri with qishta: pinch the edges of each small pancake halfway shut to form an open cone, pipe or spoon in the cool qishta cream, dip the open cream top into crushed green pistachios and drizzle with cold syrup.
- 5For crispy walnut qatayef: spoon the cinnamon-walnut filling into the centre of each round, pinch the edges completely shut into a half-moon, brush with melted ghee and bake in a hot oven (or deep-fry in hot oil) for 5 minutes until golden and crisp, then dunk immediately in cold syrup.
