Fried qatayef
Instructions
Qatayef dough:
Syrup:
For serving:
Tips
If you would prefer, it is also possible to make baked qatayef as opposed to frying them. After cooking and folding the pancakes into half-moon-shaped cones, rub them with ghee or clarified butter and bake them in the middle of the oven for 8-10 minutes at 230°C. The ghee or butter helps the pancakes crisp up. After they have cooled slightly, fill them with cream, and serve the golden delights as you would serve regular fried qatayef.
Questions about fried qatayef
Fried qatayef are deliciously crispy on the outside and delectably creamy on the inside. To learn more about the sweet, fried treat, keep reading below.
Ingredients
Qatayef:
|
Cream
|
160 g |
|---|---|
|
Flour
|
120 g |
|
Yeast
|
1 tbsp |
|
Baking powder
|
1 tbsp |
|
Sugar
|
2 tbsp |
|
Salt
|
1 tsp |
|
Warm water
|
480 ml |
|
Vegetable oil, for frying
|
Sugar syrup:
|
Blossom water
|
2 tbsp |
|---|---|
|
Lemon juice
|
1 tsp |
|
Water
|
240 ml |
|
Sugar
|
200 g |
Garnish:
|
Chopped pistachios
|
|---|
Homemade fried qatayef with cream filling
Something about fried desserts sets them apart from the rest and marks them as something special. When these fried qatayef are cooked in oil and gain their crispy exterior, their naturally sweet flavours are enhanced and changed to become even more delicious. When filled with thick, fresh-tasting cream, sprinkled with pistachios, and served with simple syrup, they simply become irresistible.
Another well-loved dish that features the same delicious filling and nuts is balah al sham. Since this one is made with choux pastry, they are different enough from these fried qatayef that your iftar dessert selection might feature both.
Make qatayef dough from scratch
With our easy qatayef dough recipe, making this Ramadan classic at home is not difficult. The most difficult part may be getting the consistency right. Firstly, to ensure the signature soft, fluffy texture, the batter needs to be quite runny and to rest for about 1 hour before you fry the pancakes at medium heat.
It must bubble when you pour some of the batter onto a hot pan. If the bubbles are few and far between, you need to thin the batter with a couple of tablespoons of warm water. When the uncooked surface appears dry, the qatayef pancakes are done.
This batter can, of course, also be used to make homemade qatayef asafiri, which is an unfried version of the dish that is served with an ashta cream filling.
Savour the crispy dough, creamy filling, and crunchy pistachios
The contrast created by pairing the crispy, fried qatayef with a velvety smooth filling and crunchy nuts makes these treats interesting and fun to eat. The freshness of the cream filling, the pistachios' nuttiness, and the richness of the fried dough create a truly special treat. With our easy homemade qatayef dough recipe, they will quickly become the kind of dessert you and your family will look forward to all year.
If you are looking for more crispy, fried Ramadan delights that are not necessarily sweet, we recommend our savoury cheese sambousek, which is also fried in vegetable oil to create a wonderful contrast between the crispy dough and soft filling.
Add your own touch
The cream filling for your homemade fried qatayef pancakes may be flavoured in an endless number of ways. You could, for instance, mix the cream with a sweet, floral orange blossom petal jam for a really easy, slightly more textured, version of a traditional ashta filling. Alternatively, you can add nutty, rich hazelnut spread for a variation that is sure to delight the children.
Though the colourful pistachios are a classic addition, walnuts and almonds are also popular for fried qatayef. You can even make your own mix of different chopped nuts to keep things interesting. Mixing in chewy, red, and dried cranberries is a fun way to add another textural element and create a bright and beautiful mix of colours with the green pistachios.
