For Palestinians, Qatayef is one of the main elements of iftar – breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
There are many vendors of Qatayef – semolina flour pancakes – in the besieged Gaza Strip and throughout Occupied Palestine. Though some people prefer to make Qatayef at home, others either buy the mix from vendors or the ready product.
The Palestine Chronicle joined Gaza vendors who sell many delicious sweets, such as the Kunafa, Halabiya, cakes and Maamoul. However, during the month of Ramadan, the Qatayef is the most requested dessert.
“These pancakes are associated with Suhoor, the meal eaten before dawn, and with Iftar, the meal eaten after sunset during Ramadan,” one of the vendors told The Palestine Chronicle.
For those readers who enjoyed our Qatayef recipe from last year, here it is again shall the photos below prove too tempting:
One, make the batter: To make the batter for these ‘pancakes’ you will need flour, fine semolina, powdered milk, water, dry ‘instant’ yeast, baking powder, and sugar. A pinch of Mahlab powder would make it even tastier, but if you are unable to locate it, it is not an essential ingredient.
Two, in a small bowl, combine the baking soda with ½ cup of water and stir.
Three, pour three cups of water into a blender along with the remaining ingredients (aside from the baking soda mixture). Blend well and then leave it to rest for 15 to 45 minutes.
Four, you can now add the baking soda mixture, and mix for 4-5 seconds.
Five, To cook your Qatayef, you will need to heat a large non-stick pan.
Finally, pour two tablespoons of batter per Qatayef. When you see bubbles from your pancakes and the top appears dry, you can remove it. It is not necessary to flip it, as this kind of pancake is only cooked on one side.
(All Photos: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
