We're almost halfway through Ramadan and I have finally perfected a katayif recipe. Katayif is a Middle Eastern dessert that is almost like a sweet dumpling, and can be stuffed with cheese, nuts, or both! They are fried and dunked in a sweet sugar syrup and enjoyed fresh out of the frying pan! Asafir use the same batter as katayif, however they are stuffed with a clotted cream called kishta, and drizzled in the sweet syrup without being fried. I know this is so long overdue but I wanted to make sure I give you all a fool-proof, yet delicious recipe! This recipe is actually not developed by me, however it is one I have seen over and over throughout the years of looking for the right katayif recipe, with a few added tweaks to the method and fillings.
I like to sprinkle some ground pistachios before serving these for a beautiful finishing touch!
The katayif can also be baked or air fried if you are trying to avoid all of the oil that comes with frying.
Katayif is a Ramadan staple in almost every Middle Eastern household. They are the perfect dessert after a long day of fasting! The fried yet fluffy dumpling-like pancake soaks up the syrup beautifully so that with every bite you get a taste of the sweetness mixed with the salty cheese or nuts that are added to the filling. There are many ways to make these and I wanted to give you all a few options in case you are nut free or you like to avoid dairy!
As for the asafir, these are less common but still extremely delicious! They are served chilled instead of warm, and the clotted cream has a pudding-like consistency. They are also made much smaller than katayif and are more of a delicacy. They are such a beautiful dessert and perfect for making when hosting a larger dinner party!
Prep Time: 70 minutes Yields: 30 Katayif, 1 Dozen Asafir
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, and 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
For the Batter:
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups Fine Semolina
31/2 - 4 cups Lukewarm Water
1 1/2 cups 2% Milk
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Packet of Active Dry Yeast
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
For the Cheese Filling:
2 cups Arabic Sweet Cheese, crumbled
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
For the Nuts Filling:
1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
1/2 cup Shredded Coconut
1 tsp. Cinnamon
For the Asafir:
1 can Clotted Cream, Kishta
1/4 cup Ground Pistachios
For the Sugar Syrup:
3 cups Sugar
2 cups Water
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large blender, add in the flour, semolina, water, milk, baking powder, sugar, and yeast. Blend all of the ingredients until you get a pancake batter-like consistency (the batter needs to be thin so if it is thick add 1/2 cup of water). Let the batter sit in the blender, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour to activate the yeast.
After the batter has been sitting, add in the baking soda and blend the ingredients once more for a few seconds to incorporate the the baking soda.
Heat a griddle to 370 degrees Fahrenheit or a flat skillet over medium-high heat.
Once heated, fill a 1/4 measuring cup with the batter. Pour the batter onto the heated surface without moving the cup around. It'll make a small sized circle without you having to move your hand or the cup. Bubbles should then start forming on the surface of the katayif.
Once all the bubbles have popped and the batter is dry, about 1-2 minutes, remove the katayif and place in a towel and cover it with the other half of the towel in order to lock in the moisture to keep the katayif fluffly. I would start with pouring only one katayif to see if you need to raise or lower the temperature for the rest of them.
Repeat this with the rest of the batter. If you are wanting to make asafir as well, save about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of batter to the side. For these, only fill up the 1/4 cup halfway and use the same cooking method.
Once you have made all the katayif, choose the filling you prefer. Hold the katayif in your hand and fold the katayif in half. Begin sealing the katayif by pinching the edges together until you have reached halfway.
Place 1 teaspoon of the desired filling in the center. Be sure not to get any of the filling on the edges of the katayif or it will not seal. Finish sealing the katayif and set aside. Repeat with the rest.
For the asafir, pinch them halfway closed and add a teaspoon of clotted cream. Sprinkle some pistachios over the cream and keep it halfway opened. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To fry the katayif, add about 1/2 cup of your preferred oil, I like to use vegetable oil, to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Fry the katayif for about 1-2 minutes on each side until they are a golden brown color. Dunk the fried katayif immediately into the ready made and cool syrup and serve fresh!
Notes:
These can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, covered and un-fried. Just fry however many you are going to serve and keep the rest stored.
See my Hareesa Recipe for how to make the sweet sugar syrup:
https://aminahy017.wixsite.com/born-a-petite/menu/hareesa-semolina-cake
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