Amaranth Crêpes with Pomegranate Syrup

Have fun making these. Smaller crêpes will be easier to flip, but will be more difficult to fold due to the inflexibility of the gluten-free batter. The first crêpe may be a disaster, but don’t fret; it doesn’t count. Use it to contemplate how to modify your technique so you can create future crêpes of higher quality. Note that it is difficult to have wafer-thin crêpes using gluten-free flour, so set your expectations accordingly. These crepes are good for vata, pitta, and kapha. The coolness of the amaranth, milk, and cardamom will balance the warmth of the eggs for pitta. Kapha can eat these in moderation. This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, and vegetarian.

Makes two 10-inch crêpes

Materials:

• 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or crêpe pan)

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ cup coconut milk (or cow’s, almond, or soy milk)
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate syrup
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons amaranth flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoons brown rice flour, sifted, or almond flour    
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (no substitutes)
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (no substitutes)
• ⅛ teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 2 teaspoons butter or ghee, melted

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk egg and egg yolk until frothy. Add coconut milk, pomegranate syrup, and lemon zest, whisking until combined. Add amaranth flour, brown rice flour, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and butter, whisking until batter is thin and smooth. Cover and let set for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°F.

Remove batter from refrigerator and whisk briefly.

Heat the skillet over medium heat. When a drop of batter placed on the pan sizzles, you are ready to cook. Lift the pan off the burner and pour in a thin layer of batter (about ¼ cup). Gently tilt the skillet in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly across the bottom. Return the pan to the heat and patiently wait.

When the bottom is done, you will see a change in color and the crêpe will easily lift from the pan. Test it by running a spatula around the edges. When the spatula easily slides under the center of the crêpe (about 2 to 3 minutes), it is time to flip. Flip the crêpe and cook for 30 seconds on the second side. Transfer crêpe to a plate and place in preheated oven while preparing the other crêpe.

Tips:

The astringency of the amaranth flour and pomegranate syrup is balanced by the sweet rice flour, coconut milk, and butter.

The lemon zest and cinnamon mellow the strong flavor of the amaranth flour.

Using butter or ghee will give the crêpe a caramel taste and help with browning; this will be lost if you substitute oil.

You can double the recipe so you have extra batter on hand. Leftover batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but the amaranth flavor starts to overwhelm the spices with each passing day.

Recipe courtesy of The Essential Ayurvedic Cookbook by Lois Leonhardi © 2015 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission. Available where books are sold.