Top 9 Ramadan desserts in Qatar

One of the things that unites everyone during Ramadan is food. Dessert is one such part of a meal that really brightens up everyone’s mood. Here in Qatar, there are a variety of options available for desserts.

Following are some of the popular choices:

Kunafa

Kunafa pastries is the Middle Eastern variant of cheese cake that is sweet, rich, crispy, and creamy. This is undoubtedly the most popular Arabic delicacy, made of semolina dough and thin noodle-like phyllo pastry.  In other words, it's a cheese pastry that's been soaked in sugar syrup and is crisp on the outside. This Arabian dessert is very popular during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

Baklawa

A tiny yet delicate beauty is what we would call Baklawa. Its consumption during Ramadan is a 15th-century habit documented in Ottoman royal archives. Baklawa is a golden cooked crumbly pastry with syrup drizzled on top, formed with several layers of phyllo crust, chopped almonds, and sweet syrup or honey. As a classic Arabian delicacy, this crunchy pastry is generally served in small gateaux sizes.

Qatayef

Qatayef is an Arabic dessert shaped like a half moon that is popular during Ramadan and originated in Egypt and the Levant. This delicious Arabic pancake is frequently filled with akkawi cheese, or any other unsalted cheese, and served with syrupy syrup or honey. Qatayef can also be packed with nuts and fried, however some cultures choose to bake it as a healthier alternative.

Basbousa

Basbousa (a soft, fragrant dessert) is known by many different names across the region, including halva de semolina, love cake, harissa, nammourah, gâteau de semoule, and many others, and can be cooked in a variety of ways depending on the nation in which it is made.

Basbousa is a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina cake that originated in Egypt and is now popular throughout the world. The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan before being sweetened with orange flower water, rose water, or simple syrup and cut into diamond or square shapes.

Halawet El Jibn

Halawat el jibn (meaning "cheese sweetness") is a popular Lebanese dessert. This dish consists of a thin layer of phyllo pastry rolled in sugar syrup and topped with cheese. Halawat el jibn is a delicious dessert that is often garnished with nuts, particularly pistachios, and can be topped with orange blossoms. This dessert is also very prominent during the month of Ramadan across various countries.

Kheer

A delectable rice pudding made with nuts and dried fruits, which add texture and flavor to this traditional Ramadan recipe. This Ramadan, satisfy your sweet tooth with this light and tasty dessert. In other words, Kheer is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent. It is typically made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, though rice can be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur wheat, millet, tapioca, vermicelli, or sweet corn.

Falooda

Made with noodles, a Falooda is a cold dessert that own its roots from the Mughlai Indian cuisine. It derives from the Persian dish 'faloodeh,' variants of which can be found throughout West, Central, and South Asia. It is typically served with ice cream and is traditionally made by combining rose syrup, vermicelli, and sweet basil seeds with milk. The vermicelli used in falooda preparation is made from wheat, arrowroot, cornstarch, or sago. In the Arab nations that experience extremely hot weather conditions, this dessert can be advantageous due to its cooling properties during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

Luqaimat

Luqaimat are sweet dumplings made of flour, yeast, cardamom, and saffron that are whipped into a soft and smooth batter and deep-fried until golden. These delectable balls are crunchy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside. Because the dumplings contain no sugar, they are drizzled or dipped in a sugary, honey, or date syrup to make them sweet and served with Karak tea or Arabic coffee. 

Balah El Sham

Balah El Sham is one of those time-honored pastries that has a million different names depending on where you are. In various forms, it is popular in most of the Middle East and some Eastern European countries. It's essentially fried pate a choux that's been dipped in sugar syrup instead of cinnamon sugar, similar to churros. It is sometimes cut open and stuffed with whipped cream, chocolate, fruits, nuts, or any other delectable filling, such as pastry cream. 

Let us know in the comments below which dessert entices your taste buds!

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 Inline image credits: Kunafa, Falooda, Baklawa, Basbousa, Luqaimat, Halawet, Qatayef