Fancy Crepes - Banana, Strawberry and lots of Nutella

J'adore les crêpes

 Crepes are my one of my most favourite fancy desserts. My first crepe tasting was in Chennai, India when my bestest friend Rupa wanted me to try this whole French thing. Back then as a teen, we were into trying foreign foods and all, for the foodies we were. This was just the sweet buttery with whipped cream, and I liked it. Next, was in Pune, India at this really fancy restaurant ( I dont recall the name) a sweet one with strawberries and powdered sugar and I loved it even more. Then years later during one of our team lunches at work in San Francisco, USA  at this authentic French creperie creperiesaintgermain.com Their banana, roasted almonds and honey crepe with nutella is to die for. The husband does not have a sweet tooth, so I would pass that on. Until recently, my trip to New York unraveled the sweet tooth for crepes in me. Max Brenners and Viva de la Crepe became my favourites, and all I ate was Nutella and chocolate crepes with banana/strawberry and almonds. I wanted to take this back to the Bay Area too and hubby sure promised to get my fill there as well. However, I couldnt wait to go to a creperie, so I blogged for the recipe and made it myself. Voila! I can make these fancy ones too. One trip to Safeway, got Nutella, strawberries, bananas and sliced almonds and it was on the crepe for dinner later that night. The recipe follows:

Serves: 4-6 (depending on the size of the pan)

Prep time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 2 cups

Eggs: 2

Milk: 2 cups

Sugar: 1.5 tbsp

Butter/Oil: 1 tsp

Toppings:

Nutella: 2-3 tbsp (add as much as you want)

Strawberries: 4
Banana: 1
Sliced Almonds: 1tbsp

Prep/Cooking:
1. Prepare the batter. Beat the eggs into the sugar and oil. 
2. Slowly add the flour and mix in till it runs smooth without any lumps
3. Take a flat pan and heat it on medium flame
4. Meanwhile, slightly warm up Nutella, till its smooth and easily spreadable
5. Slice the bananas and strawberries
6. Once, the pan is hot, pour a laddle full of the batter on to it and gently tilt the pan from all sides, until the batter spreads out
7. You may add a little bit oil on the edges so that it comes of nice and easy
8. When you see it browning a little bit, tilt onto the other side. After 30 secs - 1 min take it off the pan

Garnish:
1. On one half of the crepe, spread Nutella
2. Layer it with banana slices and almonds. Slap more Nutella if you want
3. Close the crepe. Dip a spoon in Nutella and squish it all over it. Layer it with strawberries
4. Add more Nutella if you want and devour.



Bon Appetit!!!

                                                                                                                 

Kacchi Dabeli

Thanks to my post MBA days in Pune, I got myself acclimatized to the much renowned Maharashtra cuisine and it's street food. Batata Vada, Misal Pav, Vada Pav, Ragada Pattice and Kacchi Dabeli were the ones I cringed for. Everyday in the evening after 6pm, a street food hawker would park his 4-wheel setup outside the Symbiosis Institute and all the students would swarm that place. He did have heavy sales for sure. One of my favorites and thanks to my Marathi friend Shubhangi for introducing me to this scrumptious snack is Kacchi Dabeli. Priced at Rs 4 for a plate of 2 it was a fulfilling snack during my student life. The layers of of flavors and the significant garlic-coriander chutney was outstanding. Revisiting old memories, I tried to recreate the same here. Recipe follows.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
1 pack of Pav
Sev (store bought)
Pomogranate seeds (optional)
Chopped onions: handful
Butter/oil: to toast Pav

Dabeli Masala:
Dry red chilies: 3
Coriander seeds: 1tsp
Cumin seeds: 1tsp
Garam Masala powder: 1/4tsp

Potato filling:
Potatoes: 2 big
Onions: 1
Coriander: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Chili powder: 1 tsp (as per taste)
Salt: as per taste

Savoury groundnuts:
Roasted groundnuts: 1 cup
Asafoetida/Hing: a pinch
Chili powder: 1tsp
Oil: 1tsp

Green chutney:
Garlic: 4-5 cloves
Chillies: 3-4 (depends on the heat)
Coriander: 1/2 bunch

Prep/Cooking:
Boil the potatoes, on the side you can dry roast the groundnuts, and start prepping for the dabeli masala. On another pan, slightly roast the contents under the dabeli masala except the garam masala powder. Once cooled down, grind them to a fine powder.

Meanwhile start preparing for the potato filling. Once the potatoes are boiled and cooled, peel them and mash them. In a separate pan, add oil and coat the hot oil with the mashed potatoes, mix in with salt, turmeric, chili powder, dabeli powder and garam masala powder. Mix till well coated for 2-3 mins. Add chopped coriander while removing off the flame.

Once the groundnuts are roasted, add oil to a pan, When the oil is hot, add asafoetida and drop the groundnuts. Now add, the chili powder until the groundnuts are well coated. On the same pan, you may also toast the insides of the pav when you cut it midway in half.

Now assemble: Spread the green chutney on the insides of the pav. Put some potato filling, top it off with chopped onions, sev and roasted groundnuts. You may add pomegranate seeds, (gives that tinge of sweetness against the spicy roasted groundnuts) I skipped here. Its ready to devour.

Bon Appetit!