One of my favorite shows on the Cooking Channel is My Grandmother’s Ravioli. If you haven’t already watched it, here’s the premise: the host of the show, Mo Rocca, goes to a different home of a grandmother and/or grandfather each episode and learns how to cook some of their signature dishes. Along the way, he learns about their past, how they developed a love for cooking and then meets some of their neighbors and family members towards the end of the episode for a sit-down dinner. It’s less of an instructional cooking show than it is a glimpse inside the lives of families who have consciously and enthusiastically made food and signatures dishes a part of their own distinct culture and history.
So what does this have to do with the photo above? After watching an episode that highlighted a couple who made manicotti with crepes instead of pasta, I decided I wanted to try to make a crepe as well. As I watched the host attempt to make them, I wondered: can a crepe be easily veganized? Spoiler alert: the answer is yes. And with Nemo on its way into Boston, I decided I had some time to create my own version of a crepe made with chickpea flour as the base.
After making one batch that tasted bad, one that tasted good, but wouldn’t crisp correctly along the edges, then one more that was too thick, I finally nailed it with the right ratios of chickpea flour, seltzer water, tapioca flour and a little emulsified coconut milk. I then stuffed them with some mushrooms in a creamy and smokey sauce, similar to the sauce I developed for this recipe. The crepes were perfectly crisp along the edges, with a nice softer texture towards the middle, which complimented the smoky and nicely textured mushroom filling inside. I liked it so much that I not only ate it as a late lunch, but also again as a dinner the same day.
COCONUT-CHICKPEA CREPES WITH SMOKY HERBED MUSHROOMS
- Yield: 4 crepes
Ingredients
for the filling
- 1/2 TB olive oil
- 1 large shallot, cut in half, then thinly sliced
- 10 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2–3 garlic gloves, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 or 3 TB coconut milk (skim the heavy part off the top of the can)
- 1 tsp coconut vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
for the crepes
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 3/4 cup fizzy water
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1 TB tapioca flour
- 1 TB nutritional yeast (optional)
- a few dashes of salt
- olive oil, for sauteing
- chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saute pan over medium-low heat. Place the shallots into the pan and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the mushrooms, then place a lid over the top. Increase the heat to medium and allow the mushrooms to sweat for 4-5 minutes. Remove the lid and slightly lower the heat to allow some of the moisture to evaporate, about 4-5 minutes more. Add in the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add in the thyme and paprika. Stir well. Scoop off 2 or 3 tablespoons of the coconut cream from the top of the can. Reserve the rest of the canned coconut milk for the crepes. Add it to the pan and allow it to melt. Stir to combine, then add 1/2 tsp of coconut vinegar to the pan. Taste and add another 1/2 tsp if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep it over the lowest heat setting possible while you make your crepes.
- To make the crepes, pour out the remaining coconut milk into a bowl. Stir it until the thin and thick parts are thoroughly combined. Measure out 1/2 cup of it into another bowl, then add in 3/4 cup of seltzer water. Whisk vigorously, then add in the chickpea and tapioca flours, nutritional yeast and salt, then whisk again.
- Heat a clean non-stick circular pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Spray with a little cooking spray or oil, then quickly pour a thin layer of the batter into the middle. Pick up the hot pan immediately and tilt the pan around so it is evenly covered. Return the pan to the heat and allow it to cook until the edges are slightly golden brown, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip it over with a spatula, then cook for only 1-2 minutes more. This should make about 4-5 medium-sized crepes.
- Spoon some of the mushroom filling into each of the crepes. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Deb Z says
Hi Erin! Looks fantastic. Can we sub out the coconut milk for something healthier? Or will this hurt this otherwise beautiful recipe? I try and stay away from this highly saturated fat item.
Thanks and love your recipes!
erinwyso says
Deb, thanks for your kind words! These crepes need fat to hold their shape. You can try lite coconut milk, but you may get a different texture. If you do try with lite coconut milk with good results, I’d love to know!
Jenessa says
I looove these. I have made them a few times now and although they are a little more involved than my usual meals (hummus and tortillas…), they’re totally worth it. My three year old gobbles them up, too. Thanks for the awesome recipe! I have still never tried chickpea flour in any other recipe with any success.
erinwyso says
Jenessa, love to hear that … so happy you and your little one have enjoyed them! 🙂
thevioletfern.com says
Yum. That says it all. On the menu.
Anonymous says
Oh my god, this dish looks like heaven itself!
Anshul Gupta says
The above given recipe is really very nice. It is easy and tastes good. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Katie says
I saw this on Pinterest and knew I had to try it. I have a weak spot for mushrooms, PLUS we have some chickpeas I've been wanting to use. I
erinwyso says
Yvonne, I have never heard of roasted chickpea flour, so I can't say for sure if it would work properly here. I've had very good luck with plain chickpea flour. Good luck!
Yvonne says
I love crepes more than pancakes, so I want to try these because they look so good and crispy. But the kind of chickpea flour I have is roasted – I have a feeling it absorbs liquids more than the unroasted kind as with all recipes I've tried for making socca, the batter wasn't a batter, but a clump of wet chickpea flour. Are you familiar with the roasted chickpea flour? Do you think I should buy the unroasted kind for these crepes?
Leila A. Fortier says
I had it all planned to make your sweet & sour mock chicken tonight, but my darling husband brought home Burger King…thinking it would be a nice surprise with their veggie burger meal. O_O
I felt dirty. Needed to redeem myself, so I made these a little later after inconspicuously discarding most of the unmentionables my thoughtful husband gifted me with.
I feel much better now. These were rich and delicious, and easy to make. I am thinking of trying lemon zest and rosemary for the next batch…
erinwyso says
Thanks for trying it out, Leila! Lemon zest and rosemary sound perfect here! Glad you enjoyed and hopefully no more Burger King "gifts" will come your way again! : P
Kristy says
oooooh! This looks so delicious! I've yet to attempt vegan crepes- I'm so glad to hear that their not too difficult! 🙂
Mushrooms Canada says
What a delicious looking crepe! Love the smokiness to the mushrooms…thanks for sharing!!
-Shannon
Angry Asian says
and this is gluten free. i think so anyway… i guess i'm super excited about this because i have never played with chickpea flour before, i have a bag at home and tho i don't have snowmaggedon happening here in Baltimore, i'd love to spend an afternoon making this. it kinda reminds me of a vietnamese banh xeo which i love so very much.
erinwyso says
I have never heard of banh xeo, so I googled it. I first assumed it was made from egg, but it looks like the base is made mostly from rice flour with some wheat thrown in for some recipes I looked at. Now I am intrigued! I love that the fillings for banh xeo are more like what you would see in a fresh spring roll as opposed to heavier, more savory items, like mushrooms … Something else to try out! : )
Angry Asian says
i'm sorry, i should've clarified! banh xeo is one of my fave vietnamese home dishes, it's a crispy vietnamese crepe slash taco. it can be made vegetarian/vegan or with plenty of meat and seafood. always there's herbs and salad fixings to go with it… you can roll it in rice paper or in lettuce leaves and dunk in sauce, or you can eat it like a grown up with utensils, it's always so much fun to have a banh xeo cookout.
erinwyso says
Hearing about new-to-me dishes is always intriguing, and I love your description of bahn xeo … and a bahn xeo cookout sounds like so much fun!
Verra says
Bhan xeo are delicious crepes indeed! I found a recipe in "vegan eats world", I had never heard of them before.
Jennifer says
Looks amazing, indeed! Awesome photo! I can almost taste it thru the screen!
silviam says
Look fab and sure it must taste delicious! I will definitely try it 😛
Richa says
these crepes look amazing. hubbs is goign to love those smoky mushrooms when i make some!
vegeTARAian says
These look amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, can't wait to give them a try
Caitlin says
i swear, girl, you always outdo yourself. these look phenomenal and i love that they are gluten-free AND made with chickpea flour! oh, and there's mushrooms, too. i'm a HUGE fan of mushrooms.
erinwyso says
Thanks Caitlin! Isn't chickpea flour the best?!