I started loving crêpes during my first year in college, as there was a crêperie right down the street from my dorm, and it stayed open late nights for all those past-midnight food runs.
They served sweet and savoury crêpes, made to order by the experts right in front of you. There was always a long line for it, specially on the weekends! My favourite sweet crêpe was banana and Nutella (obviously), and for savoury I preferred the Caprese which had tomato, mozzarella, and basil.
Of course, you can’t write about crêpes without talking about the ones available street-side in Paris! Closer to home, I love the Suzette crêperie in Mumbai. Their savoury buckwheat crêpes and salads make for an ideal lunch.
Since I don’t know of any such crêperie here in Calcutta (and Mumbai isn’t exactly that close), I decided to try my hand at making buckwheat crêpes at home.
I used a mix of buckwheat and regular flour for my batter. Buckwheat is being touted as a superfood these days, and what’s great is that it’s commonly found in India. Milled from a seed, it has nothing to do with ‘wheat’ — which means it’s gluten free. It’s also full of fibre and will keep you full longer than regular flour crêpes will.
Now let’s talk toppings.
Try:
Classic spinach and ricotta
Italian caprese with tomato, basil, and mozzarella
Brie with pears and walnuts for a Parisian take
Sautéed mushrooms, onions and cheddar
A Mexican inspired one with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions and blackbeans. You can even add some sliced avocado!
Mediterranean flavours like olives, roast peppers, and zucchini work well too
Sweet creations:
Banana and nutella is an all-time favourite
Honey and butter
Sugar and lemon
Strawberries and dark chocolate
Apples and caramel sauce
I topped mine with garlicky spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a generous helping of cheddar cheese. Combined with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a side salad of greens – this was a weekday lunch I want to keep coming back to.
- ¾ cup buckwheat flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour (substitute rice flour for gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water, plus more
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- Garlic sautéed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and grated cheese of your choice
- In the bowl of your food processor or blender, take the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and blend with ¾ cup water. The mixture should be of a thick, dough like consistency. Scrape down the sides and blend again if required until it forms a ball.
- Empty the batter in a bowl, cover and let it rest for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. (You can refrigerate it too if you plan on using it much later).
- After the batter has rested, add the baking soda, vinegar and more water to loosen the batter until it it of pourable consistency.
- Bring a non-stick skillet to heat (make sure your pan is evenly hot to prevent sticking). Grease with some butter or oil.
- Pour a ladle of the batter in the centre of the pan, and spread evenly in circles using the back of the spoon to form a circular crêpe. Once bubbles start forming (around 30 seconds), use a flat spatula to flip the crêpe on to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute until browned.
- Flip over again and fill with your favourite toppings! I used spinach that was sautéed in garlic until wilted, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese.
What are your favourite toppings in crêpes? Let us know in the comments below.
Did you try this recipe?
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