by Sanaa Kamal

GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Inside the kitchen in her house in the central Gaza Strip city of Deir al-Balah, Hanady Tawahin prepares different kinds of food and desserts every day for customers.

The 31-year-old woman has used her talent in cooking traditional Palestinian dishes to make some money during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Maftoul Couscous, Musakhan, Maqluba and Fatteh are among the most common recipes in the Palestinian cuisine, Hanady introduced while chopping potatoes.

The young lady said nowadays many housewives have given up preparing traditional food and choose modern recipes and fast dishes.

Hanady has taken her first step towards establishing her own project, in order to revive those delicious meals, as well as earn some money to overcome unemployment.

"I graduated from al-Aqsa University in 2012," she said. "But I did not find any job, so I decided to create my work by myself without having to wait for government jobs, especially as the situation in the Gaza Strip was getting worse day by day."

At that time, on-demand food service wasn't popular among the Palestinians, so Hanady targeted working women, who do not have enough time to cook, as potential customers, especially during Ramadan.

"The holy fasting month of Ramadan is very important for me because I can make a lot of money," she said, adding that she earns about 500 U.S. dollars in the holy month.

"I cook for my customers as if I were cooking for my family," she explained, adding she posts pictures of her dishes on Facebook and Instagram.

Hanady expressed happiness as she succeeded in leaving a footprint in cooking such dishes and gaining her customers' trust, especially as she does not use hydrogenated or unhealthy materials.

Meanwhile, dozens of people queue in front of a small tent in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in southern Gaza city to buy Qatayef dessert that is served almost only during Ramadan.

Nahida al-Nimr, in her 60s, was busy selling her customers, wishing them to enjoy her special Qatayef.

"I started to prepare Qatayef 12 years ago, when Israel imposed a tight blockade on us," the mother of five said, adding that the breadwinner of her family has lost his job.

After that, she decided to help her husband to make some money, especially in Ramadan.

"I was the first and only woman to make Qatayef on a commercial scale," she said. "Now I have customers all over the coastal enclave."

The price of Qatayef ranges between 2 to 3 dollars. "The money I earn is enough to help me live well for a year," Nahida said, adding that every woman may find a way out of her dire living conditions if she takes advantage of her talents.

Both of the women will be busy in preparations for Eid al-Fitr. Hanady is going to make cake, while Nahida will make salted fish for the festival. Enditem

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