Qatayef Asaferi

Qatayef or Katayef   is a Syrian dessert commonly served during Ramadan, a sort of sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts. It can be described as an Arabic pancake.Their history dates back to the Abbasid Caliphate.

There are two types of Qatayef , regular and mini Qatayef (also known as Qatayef asafiri). The regular ones are usually stuffed with a Cheese or nut filling, and then they are sealed and baked or fried. Regular atayef are then served drizzled with simple syrup and served without cooking. The mini Qatayef stuffed with Ashta (creem) with crushed pistachios on the top.

 

Ingredients:

For the Dough

1. 1 cup flour

2. 1/4 cup Semolina flour

3. 1/4 Active dry yeast

4. 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

5. 1 tablespoon Sugar

6. 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil

7. 1 1/2 cups Warm water

 

For the Filling

3 cups cheese or Ashta

3/4 teaspoon Ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamon

2/3 cup Crushed pistachios

 

To cook the Qatayef :

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, semolina flour, yeast, baking powder, and sugar. Add in vegetable oil and water and whisk until mixture is thin and clump-free. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.

2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of batter to center. You should bubbles form around the edges and then spread to the entire surface.

3. Your Qatayef is done cooking when it is no longer shiny and the bottom has browned evenly, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer Qatayef to a clean kitchen towel and cover to keep in moisture.

To stuff the Qatayef :

4. In a medium bowl, mix together Ashta, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamon. Pour crushed pistachios into a shallow bowl or small plate.

 5. to stuff, fold the Qatayef in a half circle and pinch along the sides, stopping halfway up. Use a small spoon to scoop Ashta mixture into the opening, then dip Qatayef into pistachios.

 6. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

 

Lara Khouli