Qatayef (stuffed with cheese)

Name: Qatayef (stuffed with cheese)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup flour; 1/4 cup semolina; 1 tbsp sugar; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp instant yeast; pinch of salt; 1 cup + 2 tbsp water; 1 cup shredded mozzarella; 1/4 cup honey; 1/4 cup water; 2 saffron strands; 2 cardamom pods; small piece cinnamon stick

Middle Eastern yeasted pancakes stuffed with cheese, deep fried until golden, served with sugar syrup and crushed pistachios. They are traditionally made for Ramadan but don’t stop yourself from enjoying them anytime of the year.

With everything happening in Gaza right now my mind and heart races to all the beautiful people and the wholesome culture of Palestine. I first ate these pancakes at a dinner party hosted by a Palestinian friend. She made them with a variety of fillings and served some fried while some weren’t. There was a spiced sugar syrup and a hot honey syrup to go with it. I have never made these before, I owe this recipe to her.

What is Qatayef?

Qatayef, Katayef or Qata’if is an Arabic pancake that is most often than not sweet and served as a dessert. It is folded and stuffed with a variety of fillings such as Nutella, cream, lotus spread, cheese, nuts etc. some pancakes are fried and served with a spiced sugar syrup, honey or date syrup. The texture of the pancake light, fluffy and airy as it is a yeasted batter that form these tiny bubbles on the surface of the pancake. It is a very common sweet treat in the middle east.

What ingredients do you need to make Qatayef?

For the pancakes –

To make the pancakes we need flour, semolina, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, yeast (instant), salt, water. I have not tried making these with any substitutes hence I wouldn’t recommend any, if you have made them before with other ingredients do let me know in the comments! I have stuffed these pancakes with shredded cheese, you can use any filling/spread you like. Make a note that these pancakes are fired hence you want to stuff them with dry fillings to avoid it oozing while frying. If you are using lotus spread for example, do not fry them and serve the pancakes by themselves with the filling.

For the syrup –

I have made a simple honey syrup with cardamom, cinnamon, saffron and water. You can do the same with sugar as well but I prefer the taste of honey.

What equipment do you need to make Qatayef?

To make the pancakes we need a large mixing bowl and whisk. A lid to cover the top. To cook the pancakes we need a non stick crepe pan or frying pan. I have used a flat spatula to transfer the pan to a plate. They must be covered with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. To fry the stuffed pancakes I have used a small sauce pot and perforated spoon. To make the syrup you need a sauce pot and spoon.

How to make Qatayef?

Add all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Add the warm water and whisk until smooth. Cover and rest for 30 mins or until bubbly. Add a spoonful of batter on a sauté pan, and cook for a few minutes until bubbles form on the surface. Cook until the top is not sticky and dry. Do not flip it. Transfer to a tray and cover them. Repeat until all the batter is done. Heat oil a deep pan and stuff each pancake with grated mozzarella cheese. Seal the edges together and repeat with all the pancakes. Deep fry for a min on each side and remove from the oil. Place on kitchen towel and let the excess oil drain. Alternatively you can bake them for 8-10 mins at 180 Deg C. To make the syrup, boil the ingredients together for a 5 minutes on medium heat in a sauce pot. Let it cool down for a few minutes before using as it will hot. Serve the pancakes hot with warm syrup and crushed pistachios.

How to serve Qatayef?

I like serving these pancakes with warm honey syrup and a crushed pistachios. You can serve them with a drizzle of condescend milk as well. They are best eaten hot hence only fry them when you are going to serve them. They pair well with tea.

Storing Qatayef?

Once the pancakes are made they must be covered with a kitchen towel to avoid them drying out which will not help them get sealed when stuffing. Further, once they are made I would recommend stuffing them once they have cooled down to avoid the filling melting 9in this case cheese). Once the pancakes are fried, serve them warm as they will loose its crispy texture. I would recommend frying them before you are ready to serve. Hence you can make the pancakes and stuff them, keep the syrup ready but fry them at the last minute as they are best served warm.

Now that we have covered how to make Qatayef, you can have a look at the video on my instagram but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.