Foldovers/Gudiyo Recipe

Back in my hometown, it’s fairly common to take any leftovers from dinner, and whip it into a brand new dish for breakfast the next morning. For instance, you could add some leftover curry to give a taste boost to regular upma, or maybe scramble some eggs with last night’s minced meat to turn it into a breakfast hash, or perhaps sandwich some old veggies, dip in egg and serve it up like a savory french toast. The possibilities (much like my appetite) are endless.

My absolute favorite thing to make with leftover meat is Appa Gudiyo aka foldovers made with crepes. Sometimes I cook some meat especially to make this, just because I love them so much. My mom made us these stuffed crepes fairly regularly while I was growing up. There are two versions of this – sweet and savory. The sweet ones are filled with ripe bananas and sugar. However, because I’m not big on sweets, today I made the savory kind. For this recipe, I stuffed the crepes with leftover chicken, shredded coconut, and spices, and then folded it into a square pastry. The little squares are then cooked until they are golden brown.

I love eating these foldovers – the crunchy top offsets nicely with the spicy soft filling. My 7 year old enjoys them as well, and requests extra to go into her school lunch box :-). Back home, we make this for breakfast or dinner, generally as an appetizer or side. You could choose to skip the coconut if you don’t like the taste, but there’s something to be said for that sweet coconut taste along with the spicy bits of meat that makes this a snack you keep coming back for.

Let me know once you’ve tried this recipe, maybe it’ll be a brand new addition to your child’s lunch box as well!

Here’s how to make the Gudiyo :

1. Read how to make a crepe here. Afterwards, make the crepe batter as shown in Step 1, and keep aside.
2. To make the filling, heat a skillet, add 2 tbsp oil. Put in 5-6 curry leaves, 1 slit green chilli and 2 tbsp cooked onions. Next add 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir.
3. Add one cup of cooked shredded meat or chicken , plus 1/4 cup of its curry/sauce. Mix well.
4. Add 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. Add 2 tbsp chopped cilantro. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Turn off heat. Keep aside.
5. Place a fry pan on medium heat, and make the crepe. Once the top is cooked and the sides start to pull away from the pan, take the crepe out, and place it – top side down – on an oiled chopping board. The crepe should be a pale off white color, not starting to brown as yet.
6. Place 1.5 tbsp of the coconut-chicken mixture in the center of the crepe, press the filling down a bit so its a squarish shape.
7. Fold over the right and left sides of the crepe, making sure they overlap.
8. Next arrange the top part over the filling portion.
9. Next, tuck the lower portion of the crepe underneath the bottom, by lifting the foldover.
   
10. Brush a hot pan with oil, and cook the foldovers on both sides till golden brown, about 3 minutes per side on medium-low heat. Use two pans for faster results;-)    Serve warm with ketchup or chilli sauce.

Note : These can be made and frozen at Step 9. Be sure to separate the foldovers with plastic/cling wrap in an airtight container prior to freezing.