Papadams Recipes

PAPADAMS

Steps:

• Stir together the flour, pepper, ground cumin seed, and salt in a large bowl or in the food processor; mix thoroughly until the spices are evenly distributed.
• Add the garlic and mix well.
• Add enough of the water to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball; if necessary, add up to 1 additional tablespoon water.
• The dough should be fairly stiff and dry; if it is too wet, it will not roll well.
• Knead the dough for about 5 minutes by hand or pulse for about 15 seconds in the food processor; the dough should be smooth.
• With your hands, shape the dough into a cylinder or log about 2 inches thick and 6 inches long.
• With a sharp knife, cut the cylinder into 1/2-inch thick slices.
• The next step uses oil, so do not use your pastry cloth and rolling pin sleeve.
• Place each slice on a lightly oiled surface.
• Lightly oil the top of the slice and then roll out into a very thin circle about 6 or 7 inches in diameter.
• Papadams must be rolled extremely thin, maximum 1/16 inch.
• If the dough sticks to your rolling pin, gently pull it off.
• Dust the tops of each papadam with cayenne pepper.
• Using a metal spatula to loosen the edges of the papadams from the rolling surface, carefully place them on large baking sheets.
• The traditional method for preparing and frying papadams is described below; you can also bake them in a 300F oven for about 15 to 25 minutes, or until crisp and dry.
• The cooking time may vary beyond this range depending upon the thickness and moisture in the rolled dough.
• Cool them on a rack.
• To prepare the papadams in an authentic manner, don't bake them; first allow them to dry by leaving them in the sun for a few hours or by placing them in a very low oven (less than 200F) for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
• Dry the papadams until they are just slightly flexible and show no moisture; they should not brown or bake, however.
• At this point, the papadams may be stacked flat and stored in an airtight container until needed; they will keep for months if stored properly.
• When ready to serve, heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a large skillet; the oil should be hot, but not smoking; a drop of water flicked into the skillet should sizzle immediately.
• One at a time, drop the papadams into the hot oil.
• Turn the papadam when it begins to curl at the edges; it will quickly fry and become crisp.
• Remove it before it turns brown.
• Cool and drain the papadams on paper towels and eat them immediately.

POPPADUMS WITH LIME & CORIANDER DIP

Steps:

• Put the mango chutney in a bowl and chop up any large pieces of mango. Mix with the spring onions, coriander and lime juice. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (You can make this up to a day ahead and keep it in a covered container in the fridge.) Serve the chilled dip in a bowl on a plate, with the poppadums broken in pieces and placed around the sides.

HOMEMADE PAPADUMS FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, salt, optional powdered spices, and water until the ingredients just come together. Add the water little by little while mixing together, until you end up with a stiff dough. Feel free to adjust the salt and spices to taste. (Garlic powder and pepper are optional additions.)
• Knead and pound on the dough for several minutes. At first the dough will be sticky, but as you knead and pound on it, it will start to come together. You can grease your hands and counter to help keep everything from sticking. I've used both coconut oil and olive oil and both work well. (Any vegetable oil shoud work.)
• Take sections of the dough and roll them out on the countertop thinly, around 2mm thin. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out circular-shaped papadums and then use a rolling pin to roll the disks out it even thinner.
• Optionally sprinkle whole cumin seeds or other spices over the disks and use a rolling pin to gently press them into the papadums.
• Spread the poppadum disks over parchment paper to allow them to dry. Flip the disks ocassionally throughout the drying process. (You can speed up the process by drying them in the sun, a dehydrator, or an oven at its lowest temperature.)
• Dried papadums can be stored in an airtight container for later, or cooked for immediate serving.
• Papadums can be broiled in the oven, puffed in the microwave, or deep-fried. My favorite method is to deep fry or pan fry the papadums in a small amount of oil. Papadums made in this way crisp up instantly in the hot oil. Broiled and microwaved papadums also crisp up quickly but aren't as light and flaky as the deep-fried ones.

PAPPADAMS

Steps:

• To fry pappadams:
• In a heavy kettle heat 1 1/2 inches oil over moderate heat until it registers 365° F. on a deep-fat thermometer and fry pappadams until crisp and golden, 2 or 3 seconds. With tongs transfer pappadams to paper towels to drain briefly.
• To broil pappadams:
• Preheat broiler.
• Broil pappadams 4 to 6 inches from heat until they bubble and become opaque, about 10 seconds on each side.