Katayif (Palestine)

These delicious stuffed “pancakes” are a wonderful Iftar dessert and special Ramadan treat. 

During the month of Ramadan, Ferial and her daughter Ayat make 100 dozens every morning that they sell in their store, Balady Foods in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, for the community.          

They sell them unfilled, so people can stuff them however they want. While the pancake recipe itself is a family secret, Ferial has shared two of her favorite stuffing recipes with us: Walnuts and Sweet Cheese.

For the pancakes, you can find a recipe here.

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Yield: Enough to fill about 20 Katayef

Walnut stuffing

Walnut Stuffing:

1. 1 cup of walnuts, crushed in blender
2. 1 cup of shredded coconut 
3. 4 tablespoons of sugar
4. 2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Sweet Cheese stuffing:

1. 1 cup of sweet cheese curd- grated
2. 1/2 cup shredded coconut 
3. 1 teaspoon mahlab 
4. 2 tablespoons sugar
5. a pinch of arabic gum – to make it smell good

Note: some people add rice water too – Ferial doesn’t.                                                                                       Egyptians stuff it with raisins or apricots but Palestinians use mostly walnuts

Katayif filled with sweet cheese

Close the pancake up by pressing the sides together

Once you have the stuffing ready, by mixing all the ingredients together, stuff the pancakes and close them up by pressing the sides together.

 For the syrup: 

2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of water – placed in pot on high to boil 45mn -60mn or so, then add the juice of half a lemon while boiling, it makes the syrup thicker an tasty

Place the stuffed Katayif in a large oven-safe dish.  Turn your oven on at  375 degrees and brush ghee over the Katayif then pour the syrup evenly on top and bake for 30mn -45mn in the oven.

You can add some grounded pistachio on top at the end – you’ll need about 1 cup.