Qatayef is an Arabian dessert that is well known in the Levant, Egypt and Tunisia and it is so popular especially in Ramadan after Iftar, and during the Iftar for some people. It consists of a dough called Qatayef stuffed with different kinds of fillings. It can be served grilled, fried or raw.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 ½- cups water
1 tsp. rose water
½-cup soft semolina
1 tbsp. starch
2 tsp. baking powder
Preparation:
-Mix the semolina, starch, rose water, sugar, baking powder and water to form a soft dough.
-Leave the dough for fermenting at least for an hour then put in a small jug to pour the mixture easily.
-Prepare a clean tray and put a dry towel over it to add the Qatayef circles over it.
-Heat a thick-base pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, start preparing 1 tbsp. from the mixture and pour in the pan in the form of a circle.
-If bubbles and holes were formed on the surface it will be an evidence of the success of fermenting. When the surface becomes dry and it becomes gold from one side, you’ll have to take it off the pan and add in the pre-prepared tray.
-Repeat the same method for the rest of the dough.
-Leave the Qatayef to cool down before you start stuffing it and don’t forget that it should be stuffed while it is fresh or in the same day; because if you kept it for some time, it will be hard for folding.
-Hold one circle of Qatayef and put 1 tbsp. of cream, cheese or nuts in the middle, fold the Qatayef over the filling to get a shape of half-circle. Stuff the rest of the circles with the same method.
-In a deep pan, add oil with depth of 2 inches. Put the pan over medium-heat to heat the mixture.
-Add many stuffed Qatayef in the hot oil and flip until it becomes gold. Get it out of oil and put Qatayef directly into syrup.
-Wait for some minutes then take the Qatayef circles out of the syrup and serve hot.
Kinds of stuffing:
Cream:
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup milk
1-cup liquid cream
¼-cup flour
¼-cup starch
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. rose water
Preparation:
In a sick-base pot or pan with medium size, add milk, cream, flour, starch and sugar. Mix well with the manual mixer to melt the starch and sugar. Put the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil then wait until the cream becomes thick. Leave it to become cooked for one or two minutes for consolidating. Let it cool down completely before using it.
Nuts:
Ingredients:
½ cup crushed nut
½-cup coconut
½-cup raisin
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preparation:
In a deep plate, add nut, walnut, raising and cinnamon. Mix well and start stuffing the Qatayef.
White Cheese:
1-cup white cheese
You can use mozzarella for stuffing or you can use white cheese. In case white cheese contain salt, cut it into cubes and soak in water to get rid of salts. Drain and start using for stuffing the Qatayef.
