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Red Lentil and Carrot Savory Crepes

6 thin lentil-carrot crepes; 3 per serving with lemon yogurt · Active 35 min · Total 2 hr 50 min

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Soaked red lentils blend into a pourable batter for thin savory crepes. Finely grated carrot gives them a soft orange color and a little texture, while lemon yogurt sits alongside. The lentils need a two-hour refrigerator soak before cooking, so this is a recipe to begin earlier in the day rather than after you are already hungry. The soak is part of the total time, not an invisible preparation step.

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Red-lentil and carrot savory crepes with lemon yogurt.

Soften the lentils before blending

Use ordinary split red lentils, rinse well and soak in plenty of cold water in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse again before blending with the measured batter water. A countertop blender makes a smoother batter than a small weak chopper. The mixture should pour easily and coat the pan in a thin layer; very coarse fragments create thick weak spots.

Thin layers cook more evenly

Stir the batter before each crepe because the carrot and lentil solids settle. Pour into a lightly oiled warm nonstick skillet and immediately tilt the pan. Let the surface lose its wet shine and the edge lift before turning with a broad spatula. Cook both faces until the lentil batter is completely set, with no raw paste in the center. Stack under a clean towel to keep the crepes flexible.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dry split red lentils (150 g)
  • 2 cups cold water (480 ml), for soaking and discarded
  • 3/4 cup water (180 ml), for batter, plus 1–2 tablespoons only if needed
  • 1 large carrot, finely grated (120 g prepared)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1 g)
  • 2 teaspoons neutral oil (10 ml), divided across the pan batches
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt (180 g)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)

Set out

Bowl and sieve, Blender, Fine box grater, 8-inch/20 cm nonstick skillet, Broad spatula

Allergens

Milk. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Rinse lentils and soak in the measured 2 cups/480 ml cold water, covered in the refrigerator, for 2 hours. Drain and rinse again.
  2. Blend soaked lentils with 3/4 cup/180 ml measured water, half the salt and cumin until very smooth. Stir in finely grated carrot. Add 1–2 tablespoons water only if the batter is too thick to spread thinly.
  3. Mix yogurt, lemon juice and remaining salt; refrigerate until serving.
  4. Heat the skillet over medium heat and brush with a little of the measured oil. Stir batter and pour in one sixth, tilting to an even thin round. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the top looks set and edges release; turn and cook for another 1–2 minutes until no raw lentil paste remains. Repeat with remaining batter and oil, adjusting heat as needed.
  5. Serve three crepes per person with half the lemon yogurt. The stated total includes the two-hour soak; six sequential crepes need about 20–30 minutes of pan time.

No special flour required

The batter uses the lentils themselves rather than a purchased pulse flour. Measure the dry amount before soaking, because hydrated lentils weigh more. A second use for the same bag is a red-lentil soup; keeping the ingredient plain leaves both options open.

A useful detail

A small crepe is easier to turn than a dinner-plate-size one. Do not taste the uncooked lentil batter, and do not treat soaking as a substitute for thorough cooking.

Another way

  • Replace carrot with 120 g finely grated zucchini, squeezed dry before measuring.
  • Use 180 g plain unsweetened soy yogurt with the lemon for a dairy-free accompaniment, checking the label.

Keep it well

Refrigerate cooked crepes and yogurt separately within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 2 days. Reheat crepes to 165°F/74°C. Freeze crepes separated by paper for up to 1 month. Keep the soaked uncooked lentils refrigerated and cook on the same day.