Korean carrot crêpe rolls

This one is great enjoyed with friends – one fries the pancakes while another chops the vegetables, then you all sit and roll and eat together by the table. They also pack well in a lunchbox.

Credit: Hardie Grant Books / David Frenkiel

• makes

  10-12

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

This is a twist on our rice crepe batter and it demonstrates how very varied it can be. We add carrots to the batter before frying the crêpes, then we stuff them with a Korean-inspired filling and serve them like spring rolls. It takes a little effort to chop all the vegetables and roll the crêpes but it’s totally worth it. 

Ingredients

Carrot crêpes

• 5 free-range eggs
• 500 ml (16 fl oz/2 cups) plant-based milk of choice (e.g. oat milk)
• 150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) rice flour
• 1 tbsp butter or virgin coconut oil, melted, plus extra to fry
• a pinch of sea salt
• 80 g (3 oz) carrots, peeled
• virgin coconut oil or butter, to fry

 Raw veggie filling

• 2 carrots, tops removed and peeled
• 100 g (3½ oz) mangetout (snow peas), trimmed
• ¼ small red cabbage, trimmed
• 1 ripe avocado, stone removed and flesh scooped out

Marinated tofu

• ½–1 fresh red chilli, seeded
• 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 200 g (7 oz) organic firm tofu, drained
• virgin coconut oil or butter, to fry

To serve

• kimchi
• fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
• toasted sesame seeds
• lime wedges
• runny honey
• peanut butter or nut butter

Resting time: 30 minutes (or up to 3 days)

Instructions

Crack the eggs into a blender or food processor, add the milk, rice flour, butter and salt, blend until completely smooth. Grate the carrots, add to the blender, blend until completely smooth and slightly orange and set aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes to rest. (You can leave it for up to 3 days.)

Meanwhile, prepare the raw veggie filling. Julienne the carrots and snow peas, thinly slice the cabbage and avocado and transfer to a serving plate.

To prepare the marinated tofu, roughly chop the chilli, transfer to a small serving bowl along with the tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, sesame seed oil and ginger, whisk until combined and set aside. Cut the tofu lengthwise into 1 cm (½ inch) thick slices. Heat a little oil or butter in a 20 cm (8 inch) non-stick frying pan (skillet) on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tofu and fry for about 5 minutes or until golden on the underside. Turn the tofu over and fry for a further 5 minutes or so, until golden. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle over some of the marinade, reserving the rest to serve, toss to coat and set aside while you cook the crêpes.

Heat a little oil or butter in the same 20 cm (8 inch) non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, whisk the batter then ladle 80 ml (2½ fl oz/1⁄3 cup) into the pan, tilting the pan to spread and evenly distribute the batter. Fry for 1–2 minutes or until small bubbles form on the surface and the base is golden. Carefully flip the crêpe with a spatula and fry the other side for a further 1–2 minutes or until cooked and golden. Transfer the cooked crêpe to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter (you may need to reduce the heat slightly after the first crêpe).

Serve the crêpes topped with some veggies, tofu, kimchi, a scattering of coriander, sprinkling of sesame seeds, squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of honey. Roll up, seal with a dollop of peanut butter and cut in half. Eat them with your hands, using the remaining tofu marinade as dipping sauce.

Note

• Alternatively, prepare the crêpe batter in a large mixing bowl with a whisk or immersion (hand) blender; just be sure to finely grate the carrot first.

Recipe from Green Kitchen At Home by David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl (Hardie Grant Books, hb, $39.99). Photography © David Frenkiel 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

This is a twist on our rice crepe batter and it demonstrates how very varied it can be. We add carrots to the batter before frying the crêpes, then we stuff them with a Korean-inspired filling and serve them like spring rolls. It takes a little effort to chop all the vegetables and roll the crêpes but it’s totally worth it.