Essentially a time for an individual to evaluate and purify all aspects of their own
life, Ramadan is more than this, encompassing and embracing the community at
large. Whether it is by yourself, with family, friends or in a community gathering that you
celebrate the breaking of fast, or the entertainment throughout the evenings, Ramadan
envelopes your life.
An important part of Ramadan eating, are dates. Rich in Middle Eastern history, they
are an excellent source of fiber, sugar, magnesium and potassium. High in
carbohydrates, dates also aid the body in maintaining health during fasting periods.
I have featured predominantly sweet morsels, used to break the fast and restore the
sugar levels after a long day’s fasting. Ramadan Kareem
My Jawad List
 You can find ingredients at Jawad supermarkets at The Jawad Dome, Barbar or The Centre, Nwaidrat.
Katayef pastry
Dates
Gyma pine nuts
Gyma walnuts
Orange blossom water
Al Akhdar rose water
Al Safi or Danone Laban
Hollandia instant yeast
Lemons
 Date Cookies
-200g pitted dates
-Boiling water
-180 g butter
-¾ cup brown sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 egg yolk
-2 cups plain flour
-1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
-Raw sugar
• Preheat oven to 180°C. Put dates in a bowl, just cover
with boiling water and stand for ten minutes. Drain
the dates and mash with a fork until they resemble a
smooth paste.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter,
brown sugar and vanilla. Add the egg yolk, cooled date
paste, sifted flour and bicarbonate soda. Mix until
just combined.
• Roll tablespoonfuls into balls, add in the raw sugar, then
place on parchment lined baking trays. Flatten slightly
with the palm of your hand.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes and cool on the tray before serving.
 Katayef
-2 packets katayef pastry (or 12 pieces bagrier)
-3 cups ground roasted walnuts
-½ cup ground pine nuts
-¼ cup fi nely ground pistachio nuts
-1 cup (210g) sugar
-1 tablespoon rose water
-2 tablespoons orange blossom water
-Oil for frying
-Syrup (see Asileyah recipe)
• In a bowl mix the ground roasted walnuts, with the
ground pine nuts, pistachios and sugar. Thoroughly
combine the mixture with the rose and orange blossom
water, keeping it a little damp so the mix clumps
together when squeezed inside a fi st. (If not, add a little
more orange blossom water).
• Take a katayef pastry in one hand and place a
tablespoon of the fi lling inside the centre of the pastry.
Close the katayef by pinching the edges of the pastry
together so that you are left with a crescent shaped
katayef. Fill the remaining katayef and use all the fi lling.
• Heat the oil to 175°C and fry each katayef gently until
golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel before
carefully soaking in the syrup. Remove once soaked and
drain excess syrup by sitting the katayef in a strainer.
• To serve, dust with ground pistachio nuts.
 Asileyah
-500mls laban
-460g plain fl our
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-12g dry instant yeast
-5g salt
-25mls sunfl ower oil
-30g granulated sugar
-Oil for frying
-Syrup
-2 kilos granulated sugar
-600mls water
-2 lemons juiced
-60mls rosewater
-4-5 fi laments of saffron
• Make syrup 24 hours before the Asileyah. Place all the
ingredients into a large pot and bring slowly to the boil.
Immediately remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Make the dough two hours before frying. Place the
laban, sugar, oil and yeast into a bowl and stir. Add the
fl our, baking powder and salt and with a spoon, or even
your clean hands, mix together to a fi rm dough. Let it
sit for two hours. In a frying pan place 1cm of oil. Heat
it to 175°C. Using a teaspoon, scoop small amounts and
deposit them into the shallow frying pan of oil.
• Flip the balls and cook the other side; they should only
be lightly golden brown. In a second deeper pot fi lled
with 10-15 cm of oil, place the once fried pieces and
deep fry until crusty and golden in colour. Remove the
balls, drain on paper towel and while still warm place
into the sugar syrup and stir to coat them.
• Soak for 15 minutes, then remove, drain in a strainer
and serve. |
