050 / 75 · Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Chickpea Flour Spinach Crepes with Cottage Cheese

8 small filled crepes; 2 per serving · Active 55 min · Cook 50 min · Total 1 hr 30 min

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Chickpea flour makes a savory crepe with a gentle nutty flavor and enough structure to fold around a substantial spinach and cottage-cheese filling. The batter rests before cooking so the flour hydrates and the first crepe is less likely to crack. This recipe makes eight small crepes, two per serving, with the filling divided just as deliberately. It is a useful change from another bowl of grains and beans, with familiar ingredients handled in a slightly different way.

Jump to ingredients

Golden chickpea crepes filled with spinach and cottage cheese.

Rest the batter, then judge it

Freshly whisked chickpea batter can look thinner than expected, then thicken as it stands. Give it the full rest before deciding whether to adjust it. The finished batter should pour in a continuous ribbon and spread when the pan is tilted. A small measured addition of water is helpful if it has become stiff, but adding large splashes can produce fragile crepes that tear when filled.

Dry spinach makes a better filling

The spinach is cooked briefly and then squeezed once it is cool enough to handle. Skipping that step leaves liquid inside the fold, where it softens the crepe instead of becoming a sauce. Chop the drained leaves so the filling spreads evenly. Cottage cheese stays pleasantly textured; it does not need to be blended smooth, and the grated Parmesan adds a savory note without a separate cream sauce.

Let the first side set

A moderately hot nonstick pan is more useful than maximum heat. Pour the measured batter and immediately tilt the pan, then leave it alone until the surface is mostly matte and the edges release. Trying to flip while the center still looks wet is the common route to a torn crepe. Slide finished crepes onto a plate in a loose stack, fill them while still flexible and warm the folded parcels gently before serving.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (180 g)
  • 2 large eggs (100 g without shells)
  • 1 1/2 cups water (360 ml/360 g)
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (4.5 g), divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml/28 g), divided
  • 10 oz fresh spinach (280 g), washed
  • 1 garlic clove (3 g), finely minced
  • 2 cups low-fat 2% cottage cheese (450 g)
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan (30 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (0.5 g)

Set out

8-inch/20 cm nonstick skillet, Whisk and mixing bowl, Large saucepan or skillet for spinach, Flexible spatula, Clean towel, Instant-read thermometer, Clean plate for cooked crepes, Lid that fits the 20 cm skillet

Allergens

Egg, Milk, Check chickpea flour for wheat cross-contact if relevant. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Whisk chickpea flour, eggs, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Whisk in 1 tablespoon oil. Rest 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, put spinach in a large pan with the water clinging to its leaves. Cover over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until wilted. Transfer to a sieve, cool enough to handle, squeeze very dry and chop.
  3. Heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in the large pan over medium-low heat. Stir garlic for 30 seconds. Add chopped spinach, cottage cheese, Parmesan, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir just until evenly combined, then remove from heat.
  4. Heat the 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush with a little of the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Stir batter and pour in one-eighth of it, about 1/3 cup/80 ml, tilting immediately to coat the base. Cook 2 minutes, until surface is matte and edges release, then turn and cook 45–60 seconds. Transfer to a plate and repeat for eight crepes, distributing the remaining oil across the pan as needed.
  5. Divide filling into eight portions. Put one on each crepe and fold in half, then in half again. Return two parcels at a time to the skillet over low heat, cover and heat 2–3 minutes per side, until the filling reaches 165°F/74°C. Serve two per person.

Small crepes are easier to handle

An eight-inch pan gives a manageable crepe that can be turned with a normal spatula. A larger pan produces a thinner, wider sheet from the same batter quantity and makes the two-crepe serving less consistent. Keep the size steady and use the first crepe to judge the heat before cooking the rest.

A useful detail

Cook the chickpea batter fully; do not taste it raw. If the rested batter is too thick to swirl, whisk in water 1 tablespoon/15 ml at a time, up to 3 tablespoons. Allow about 24 minutes for eight sequential crepes, then 16–24 minutes for four sequential warming batches after filling. The 20-minute batter rest overlaps spinach preparation; the 90-minute total includes filling and handling between these stages.

Another way

  • Use 280 g finely sliced Swiss chard leaves instead of spinach, cooking them until tender before squeezing.
  • Replace nutmeg with 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest for a brighter filling.

Keep it well

Refrigerate filled crepes in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep up to 3 days. Reheat covered over low heat or in a covered ovenproof dish until the filling reaches 165°F/74°C. Freeze with paper between portions up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator. Pack cold with two cold sources.