Almost every curry night starts with this crunchy snack.
Papadams are generally accompanied by the tasty dips like mango, mint chutney or lime pickle. They are definitely a finger licking start for an enjoyable curry night.
It’s easy for us to get addicted to this pre-starter, thanks to their taste and texture that keeps us entertained while we look forward to enjoying rest of our curry night.
What is papadam made of?
The main and most widely used ingredient is ‘urad dal’ (or black gram) and contains black pepper or jeera or garlic or other spices based on the type and taste required.
How to make?
Here in the UK, we can almost find ready-made Papadams in all major supermarkets and small Indian corner shops. But, preparing them freshly at our homes is many times tastier and healthier too.
Just follow these steps and you are just a few minutes away from frying and tasting the crunchy papadam yourself!
Ingredients
2 cups of fine urad dal flour(black gram)
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Add the following for Optional flavours and textures
2 tsp Jeera (Cumins seeds)
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cloves of Garlic
Method
1. Mix urad dal flour, baking soda and salt with ¼ cup of water to make a thick and smooth dough. Now add the flavours you prefer.
Glarlic – crush and add if you like.
Ground black pepper – to make the Pappadams spicier.
Jeera – add whole seeds for a crunchy flavour.
2. Divide the dough into one inch diameter balls and roll out with a rolling pin such that the papadam is around 5 to 6 inch circular discs.
3. Dry each Pappadam in the sun or in an oven that is heated to 175 degrees. When dry they are ready to be fried or roasted.
4. To cook the Pappadams, head about 3 cups of oil in a large pan to a very high temperature. When the oil starts smoking, cook the Pappadams one by one. They will expand and bubble then remove them from the oil when they turn light brown.
Enjoy with mango or mint chutneys as dips or if you are brave enough, dip in a spicy lime pickle!