How To Crisp Up Soft Cooked Poppadoms Recipes

SPICED POPPADOMS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 170°C (150° fan) 325°F gas 3. Line several baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
• Mix the gram flour, caynne pepper, cumin and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the garlic and mix well.
• Add most of the water and mix to a firm dry dough. If the dough is too dry add a little more water.
• Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth.
• Roll the dough into a log 5cm|2" thick and 15cm|6"long. Cut into 12 equal sized slices.
• Brush a little oil onto the end of each slice and roll out a slice on non-stick baking paper into a very thin round, about 15-18cm|6-7" diameter. Repeat with each of the dough slices.
• Carefully place the poppadoms onto the baking trays. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and dry.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan until very hot, but not smoking.
• Put a poppadom into the oil and turn it over when it starts to curl at the edges. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining poppadoms.

HOMEMADE POPPADOMS

Steps:

• Place the flour in a mixing bowl and stir in the salt andbicarbonate of soda. Slowly add the water, you may not need it all, to form into a soft dough. The dough should be slightly wet and a little difficult to work with.
• Place this dough on a clean surface and pound it with a pestle or something similar for about 10 minutes, flipping the dough from time to time. This s the authentic way of making the dough, which gets better results than simply kneading as the flour is pounded harder together.
• After about ten minutes of pounding, you are ready to knead the dough. Squish and squeeze it in your hands for a couple of minutes. If the dough is still quite wet, add a little flour until you have a very soft and drydough ball. You shouldn't need to add much. If you have a tortilla press, your job of flattening the papads will be much easier. Otherwise, you will need to roll your dough balls out until paper thin on a lightly greased surface. You will need a knife to help remove the papad fro the surface. For a neater appearance, you could also use a round cookie cutter to but I rarely do.
• Dry the flattened papads in the sun, flipping from time to time on wax paper. In the winter, I place them next to a wood fire or electric heater to dry. I have also dried them in a dehydrator.
• When dried out, the papads will still be a bit flexible and not so dry that they snap in two when bent.
• To cook, heat about 10cm/4inches of vegetable oil in a wok or large pan. The oil is hot enough when you can throw a small piece of papad in and it sizzles and floats to the top immediately.
• Cook one or two at a time. They should cook through in a matter of seconds so watch them carefully so that you don't burn them. Transfer the cooked poppadoms to papertowels using tongs and continue cooking the remaining poppadoms.
• These cooked poppadoms will keep in an air-tight container for at least three days.