Wholesome Qatayef(Middle Eastern Stuffed Pan Cakes) with Orange Blossom syrup


The aromatic rose and orange-blossom essence impart the exotic hint of flavor, characteristic to Middle Eastern desserts.Qatayef is one such ambrosial dessert,prepared like pancakes,only richer with the nutty fruity(at times cheesy) stuffing and soaking sweet in orange blossom syrup.These are also referred as "Ramadan pancakes" for it a popular delicacy in the middle east during the fasting season.
I fiddle with the original recipe(as in the book Arab Table) ,to make it suitable for breakfast or brunch or snack with whole grains,flax seed meal and light on sweetness.And baked them instead of frying for the sake of my waistline.
The Orange blossom water is exclusively sold in most middle eastern stores,can also be purchased online.The essence is suitable for flavoring the salads and smoothies. For this recipe if you can't hunt for the Orange blossom water,then the more common rose water can be used instead.
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(Makes about 12 medium pancakes)
Ingredients
For pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine semolina(sooji rava)
1 tablespoon Flax seed meal(optional)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the Dry Fruit and Nut Filling
1 cup nut (walnuts,roasted almonds,pistachios)coarsely chopped
1 cup dry fruits(figs,dates,cherries ,cranberries or raisins),chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange blossom water(or rose water)

For Orange Blossom Syrup
(makes a light syrup)
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon Orange blossom water(or rose water).

Method
Prepare the batter
Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water in a mixing bowl. Add the flours ,semolina, and salt. Mix thoroughly to make a smooth batter.Cover and allow to rise for an hour.

Filling and Syrup
Mix all the ingredients of the filling and set aside.
To make the syrup,bring the water and sugar to a boil.Simmer until reduced to 1 cup,mix in the orange blossom water.Turn off the heat.

Make and bake or fry the pancakes
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.Add a little water in the batter if needed.Grease pan with little oil,using a ladle pour the batter ,spread if need for a nice rounded pancakes. Do not flip the pancakes,allow to cook until the the bubbles have formed and the surface of the pancake is dry.Remove them on to a plate and arrange in a single layer. Finish making pancakes with rest of the batter.

To stuff the pancakes ,hold them bubbled side up,make a pocket(see the images).Place about a tablespoon of filling in each.Just pinch all over the edges to close them.Repeat same with rest of the pancakes.

To Bake
Preheat oven to 350F(180C).Arrange the stuffed pancakes on a baking sheet.Bake for about 10-15 minutes,until lightly crisp.
Shallow fry(Not preferable ,increases the fat calories in the pancakes)
In a big non-stick pan,add 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil and fry the pancakes ,about a minute on each side.

After baking or frying them,pour the syrup immediately all over the pancakes.Serve warm with fresh fruit,sprinkle with orange zest and grated nuts .

These fragrant pancakes are off to Heart of the Matter,featuring flowers this month,hosted by Lucullian Delights

Comments

Lavanya said…
very healthy pan cakes..looks yumm yasmeen!!
Oh my-this one is definitely different.The name itself sounds so exotic!!
Varsha Vipins said…
Thats an exotic yum dish Yasmeen..look totally yum dear..:)
Soma said…
That is such an awesome recipe! reminds me of gujia s in India, but definitely more healthy & flavorful. By luck i had found a big bottle of Orange Blossom water in Kroger, but unfortunately dropped it & broke it even before I could use it:-( my heart broke, & my home smelt like a garden for 2 whole days!
I need to try this out.
Dori said…
Oh yum, I have bookmarked this!
Poornima Nair said…
Hey thats an awesome dish...all that stuffing sounds delicious, very tempting.
These sound delicious, Yasmeen. And I really like what goes into the pancake batter.
Sanghi said…
Wow yasmeen looks yummmy.. Juicy dear!!!
looking yummyy yummyyyy..stuffing is good!!
Archy said…
Looks so gud an healthy !! unique one !!
Indhu said…
yummy... and this is such an exotic dish... btw, was going through all your recipes today.. loving it :)
notyet100 said…
mmmm....this is new for me,..lovely colour too,...
Cham said…
Such a new recipe and the syrup I can smell the aroma here!
Maria Verivaki said…
fragrant pancakes - they look delicious
Priya Suresh said…
Wow wat a delicious and healthy pancakes, i love orange blossom syrup...thats a prefect entry with loads of healthy stuffs!
It would be a delight to have the stuffed pancakes in the morning, oh it would be a blunder if I dont mention the color...mmm I am drooling...
FH said…
WOW!! very new to me. Seems every country has it's own kind of sweet pancakes. Orange sauce sounds yum! :)
Sharmila said…
I love orange. Love this version of pancakes Yasmeen. :-)
These pancakes must taste heavenly! I'm drooling...

Cheers,

Rosa
Ashwini said…
Wow this is something new..Looks yummy. Love the orange flavour to it..
Anonymous said…
Looks awesome Yasmeen..making me hungry.
Gita Jaishankar said…
It sure is a delicacy! a healthy one too with flaxseed meal and a good filling, love it Yasmeen :)
ARUNA said…
wow yummy healthy pan cakes Yasmeen. Awesome recipe! Tempting indeed, will keep visting dear! Thanks for ur lovely comments.
Ilva said…
This is a perfect entry, thank you so much!
Zee said…
Exotically delicioso babe!
Yasemin said…
You are brilliant. Awe...Yasmeen you must be so healthy. Thank you for bringing joy to my day, I can't wait to try these!
Uma said…
Never heard of this. Looks so good and healthy Yasmeen!
very new dish.. sounds wonderful!! like the new look of your blog.
Ammu said…
Wow! mouth watering. Wonderful & very innovative. Definite to try this soon.
Dhanya Ganesh said…
Looks yummy.Have bookmarked this recipe.
Bharti said…
I love date anything Yasmeen. And as usual, this sounds nutritious and delicious.
Sia said…
Yasmeen, that looks delish! thank u for introducing another fab recipe!
Shama Nagarajan said…
delicious pan cakes..yummy
Arlette said…
Marhaba Yasmeen

Very Delicious Qatayef, Sahteein
You Remind me to do some soon, Thanks for sharing a healthy version
Arlette said…
Yasmeen are you from the Middle East?????


please visit my blog and read about Walima Cooking Club, let me know if you will be interested to join us???
This sounds absolutely delicious. :)
Anonymous said…
Bravo Yasmeen! This is absolutely amazing as is your entire site! I also try my best to prepare healthier versions of many middle eastern delicacies that I adore!Great job here,looks deliciously healthy!!Keep up the good work! Mia
cahide said…
Çok güzel olmuş ellerine sağlık canım.My Turkish food blog:
http://cahideninelleri.blogspot.com/

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