Middle Eastern Sweets Middle EasternMedium

Qatayef Stuffed Pancakes with Walnuts and Attar Syrup

Name: Qatayef Stuffed Pancakes with Walnuts and Attar Syrup
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 48 min
Total time: 1 h 23 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; ½ cup (80 g) fine semolina; 1 teaspoon (3 g) instant yeast; 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine salt; 2 cups (480 ml) water, warm, about 105°F (40°C); 1½ cups (150 g) walnuts, finely chopped; 3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) ground cinnamon; 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar; 1 cup (240 ml) water; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) orange blossom water; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) rose water; 4 cups (950 ml) neutral oil such as sunflower or canola, plus a little for greasing the skillet, for deep frying, about 1½ inches (4 cm) deep; 2 tablespoons (15 g) raw unsalted pistachios, finely ground or crushed (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Yeasted semolina pancakes are cooked on one side only, folded around a cinnamon-walnut filling, sealed into half-moons, fried until deep golden, and dipped in floral sugar syrup. Crisp edges, a soft center, and a crunchy nut filling make them a classic Ramadan sweet.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 48 min
Wait: 52 min
Total: 2 hr 15 min
Makes: 20 filled pancakes (serves 10, 2 each)

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the pancakes
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
½ cup (80 g) fine semolina
1 teaspoon (3 g) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
2 cups (480 ml) water, warm, about 105°F (40°C)
For the filling
1½ cups (150 g) walnuts, finely chopped
3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
For the attar syrup
1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) orange blossom water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) rose water
For frying and finishing
4 cups (950 ml) neutral oil such as sunflower or canola, plus a little for greasing the skillet, for deep frying, about 1½ inches (4 cm) deep
2 tablespoons (15 g) raw unsalted pistachios, finely ground or crushed (optional)

Equipment (9)

10-inch (25 cm) nonstick skillet or crepe pan
Large mixing bowl and whisk
Small saucepan (2-quart / 2 L) for the syrup
Deep 10-inch (25 cm) skillet or 3-quart (3 L) heavy pot for frying
Deep-fry or candy thermometer
Ladle or ¼-cup (60 ml) measure with a 2-tablespoon (30 ml) fill line
Spider or slotted spoon
Wire rack set over a baking sheet
Clean kitchen towel and paper towels

Steps

Before you start

Read the whole recipe first. The batter needs 45 minutes to rest and the syrup must be fully cool before you dip the fried qatayef.
Chop the walnuts small, about the size of rice grains to lentils, so the filling stays tucked in and the pancakes seal easily.
Use a nonstick skillet or crepe pan and a thermometer for the frying oil. Oil that is too cool makes greasy qatayef, and oil that is too hot browns the outside before the seams cook.
Make a few extra pancakes. The first one is often a test, and a couple will tear.

1
Cook the attar syrup
- In the small saucepan, stir together the syrup sugar, syrup water, and lemon juice.
- Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly so it simmers gently and cook 8 minutes without stirring.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the orange blossom water and rose water, and pour into a shallow bowl so it cools quickly.
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Ready when: The syrup lightly coats the back of a spoon and is the thickness of thin honey when warm; it thickens more as it cools.
Tip: Add the floral waters off the heat, since boiling drives off their aroma.
2
Mix the batter
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, semolina, yeast, batter sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour in the warm water and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth with no lumps.
- The batter should be thin and pourable, like heavy cream.
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Ready when: The batter is smooth and runs off the whisk in a steady ribbon.
Tip: Water hotter than 120°F (49°C) can kill the yeast, so it should feel comfortably warm, not hot.
3
Make filling, rest batter
- Cover the bowl of batter with a towel and let it rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- While it rests, stir the chopped walnuts, filling sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Set the syrup aside to cool completely.
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Ready when: The batter is bubbly on the surface and smells yeasty. The filling looks like damp, cinnamon-brown sand.
Tip: Stir the batter gently once before cooking, since the semolina settles.
4
Cook one-sided pancakes
- Heat the nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush with a thin film of oil, wiped nearly dry with a paper towel.
- Stir the batter, then pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) into the pan to form a round about 4 inches (10 cm) wide.
- Cook 3 or 4 pancakes at a time, leaving room between them.
- Cook 1½ to 2 minutes, without flipping, until the top is covered in bubbles that have popped and the surface looks dry and matte.
- Slide each pancake onto a clean towel, cooked side down.
- Repeat, re-oiling the pan lightly every few batches, to make about 22 pancakes.
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Ready when: The top is dry and full of tiny holes, the underside is pale golden, and the edges lift easily.
Tip: Never flip them. The raw, spongy top is what lets the edges seal later. If the bottoms brown too fast, lower the heat.
5
Cool the pancakes
- Lay the pancakes in a single layer on the towel, bubbly side up, and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Do not stack or cover them, or they will stick and turn gummy.
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Ready when: Pancakes feel dry and just barely warm to the touch.
6
Fill and seal
- Hold one pancake in your palm with the bubbly side up.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of the walnut filling onto the center.
- Fold it in half to make a half-moon, then pinch the edges firmly together, running your thumb and finger along the curved edge so it seals completely.
- The damp, uncooked top surface sticks to itself.
- Repeat with 20 of the best pancakes and set them on a tray.
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Ready when: The edges are pinched flat with no gaps and the filling doesn't show.
Tip: Don't overfill. More than 1 tablespoon pushes through the seam and leaks into the oil. Use torn pancakes for snacking.
7
Fry until golden
- Pour the frying oil into the deep skillet or pot to a depth of about 1½ inches (4 cm).
- Heat over medium heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry 4 to 5 qatayef at a time, turning once, for 1½ to 2 minutes total until deep golden brown on both sides.
- Lift out with a spider and drain on the wire rack for 1 minute.
- Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
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Ready when: Both sides are deep golden brown and crisp, and the seams stay closed.
Tip: If a seam bursts, the oil is likely too cool or the pancake was overfilled. Adjust the heat and keep batches small.
8
Dip in syrup
- While the qatayef are still hot, dip each one in the cooled syrup for about 10 seconds, turning once so both sides are coated.
- Lift out and set on the wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Let drain for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The surface is glossy and wet but not dripping.
Tip: Hot qatayef and cool syrup is the key to a crisp shell. Warm syrup makes them soggy.
9
Garnish and serve
- Sprinkle the ground pistachios over the qatayef, if using, and serve them warm or at room temperature, with extra syrup on the side for dipping.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the pancakes small and uniform, about 4 inches (10 cm), so they fold and fry evenly.
The bubbly top must stay uncooked and slightly tacky. If it looks fully dry and wrinkled, the pancake won't seal.
Fry in small batches to keep the oil at 350°F (175°C); a thermometer is the most reliable guide.
For a lighter option, brush the filled qatayef with melted butter and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes until golden, then dip in syrup.

Make ahead

Cook the one-sided pancakes up to 1 day ahead. Cool completely, layer between sheets of parchment, wrap airtight, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before filling. Filled, unfried qatayef can be frozen on a tray, then bagged, for up to 1 month; fry straight from frozen at 325°F (165°C) for 3 to 4 minutes. The syrup keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: 1 day uncovered or loosely covered, which keeps the shell crisper. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in a single layer in an airtight container. Freezer: syrup-dipped qatayef freeze less well, so freeze them undipped for up to 1 month. To reheat, warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes until crisp, then dip in fresh syrup.

Substitutions

walnuts → Pistachios, almonds, or a mix. Chop equally fine and use the same weight; pistachios give a greener, sweeter filling.
fine semolina → Extra all-purpose flour (80 g / ⅔ cup). The pancakes will be softer and less textured but still work.
orange blossom water → Additional rose water or 1 tablespoon of honey. Use 2 teaspoons rose water in total; it is stronger, so add gradually.
instant yeast → Active dry yeast (1¼ teaspoons). Dissolve in the warm water with the batter sugar for 5 minutes until foamy before adding to the dry ingredients.