Brunch is the perfect weekend meal. The idea of combining breakfast and lunch is nothing short of perfection - waking up late, one big meal and fewer dishes to wash up. San Francisco is the Mecca for brunch and we do them too often. We hope to write up a blog entry listing our favorite spots in SF, someday!
Brunch at home can be equally enjoyable. Along with the above advantages, you can go from bed to brunch in pajamas! This is one such recipe. Easy, quick, healthy and so yummy! I don't know if crêpe is the right word here. The consistency is between a crêpe and a pancake but I will call it a crêpe. This 'crêpe' is made using chickpea flour which is a wonderful addition to your pantry. It is gluten-free but can still hold things together. Indian cooking calls for chickpea flour in pakoda batter, for thickening curries or making sweets. This is an Indian inspired dish and a healthier take on the Great Indian Masala Dosa [rice and lentil crêpes with a potato filling]. All of these ingredients can be found in an Indian Store or a local speciality food store but the mantra is - It is more important to make it than make it exactly - so feel free to add something new or leave out something and let me know how that went in the comments below.
Recipe:
Crêpe:
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 green chili chopped [keep the seeds for additional eat]
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves [also called Kasuri Methi]
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup of water
- Salt to taste
Heat up the oil and temper the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and chili till you smell the spices. Add the tempered spices, baking soda and fenugreek leaves to the chickpea flour. Add half of the water to start with and mix till there are no lumps. Add more water till you have a batter slightly thicker than a crêpe batter. Add salt. Do not panic if the batter looks grainy. Set this aside for 20mins [Pro tip : You can make the filling in the meantime]
Grab a flat non-stick pan or skillet and a couple of drops of your favorite oil [I use olive oil]. Once the oil heats, pour in a couple of ladles of the batter. Use the back of the ladle to spread the crêpe. Once you see bubbles form on the top and a beautiful brown base, flip the crêpe and give it another minute or so, till completely cooked. Repeat till all the batter is used up. I always mess up my first crêpe but that is ok! The pan heats up perfectly after the first one and I get the scraps to munch on while I make the others.
Potato filling:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon split yellow mung beans [optional]
- 2 teaspoons of ginger [or more]
- 1 whole green chili [leave the seeds for more heat]
- 1 big onion, sliced lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cooked potato
- Salt + Pepper
Cook the potato. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and wait till they pop! Then add in the mung dal [optional], ginger, curry leaves, chili and cook. Once the ginger looks cooked, add the onions and salt. The salt helps to draw out the water from the onions. Once the onions have gone soft, add turmeric and cook some more. Finally add in the potato and pepper. You are done once all the potato is coated with the yellow-ness of the turmeric.
You can fill the potato mix in the crêpe but I like serving it on the side with a side salad [spinach-sprouts-salt-olive oil-pepper], lemon wedges and sweet, juicy tomatoes which take the dish to another level! We put all of this in one BIG serving bowl and dig in!
