Once you’ve tried this homemade poppadom recipe, You’ll want to make it again and again!
This is a poppadom recipe for those who really want perfection.
Back in 2012, I shared my poppadom recipe using shop bought papads. This recipe takes it all up a notch.
This is an authentic homemade papad recipe which gets results like the poppadoms you get in India. Making poppadoms using shop bought papads is so much better than purchasing them in packs already fried. But they simply aren’t as good as the real thing! Don’t forget the chutneys and raitas!
Homemade poppadoms are amazing! Even better with a cold Fourpure beer.
About this poppadom recipe…
I had a few failed attempts at making homemade papads for poppadoms and had decided it was something best left to the professional.
Then, while travelling in Kerala with my wife, we happened upon a little place where lots of Indian snacks were being prepared fresh.
The company had workers preparing lots of different snack foods such as plantain crisps, Bombay mix and papads. The fresh, not fried papads were on sale to take home and fry and I was sure bring some back with me.
I asked the owner if he could give me a simple poppadom recipe and I’m so glad he did.
What to expect…
This recipe gets fantastic results. You can expect crispy and in places chewy poppadoms.
Poppadoms like this are usually served with the main in India to add texture instead of as a starter like here in the UK.
If you only dry the them for about four hours as explained in my poppadom recipe below, they papads will puff up and they are totally delicious.
If, however you want crispier poppadoms like those you get at curry houses, there are only two ways to do it.
Purchase papads or run the dough through a pasta machine until super thin. I think you will like these just as they are though.
Did you know that homemade poppadoms aren’t just served as a starter?
In southern India, poppadoms are often served on top of a curry. This adds a crispy texture to the dish and it’s really good.
Why not try your homemade poppadoms on top of this chicken coconut curry? You’ll love it!
Step by step photographs of this homemade poppadom recipe…
Place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Slowly add the water. You might not need it all to form a soft, somewhat wet dough.
Other ingredients can be added such as cumin, chilli flakes, coursely ground black pepper or even finely chopped green chillies.
Once you’ve got your dough ball, it’s time to get pounding.
Pound the dough, turning from time to time for about 10 minutes. Then knead it by hand for about 3 minutes.
When your dough it ready, you should be able to stretch it. It will break but you should get a good stretch before it does.
You can make your poppadoms as small or large as you like. I usually use golf ball sized balls of dough.
Using a tortilla press makes the job a lot easier. You could also roll it all out on a lightly greased surface until paper thin.
The longer you air dry you papads the crispier they become. I like mine only lightly dried so they puff up when frying.
Once you make your poppadoms, you might like to make one or more of these to dip them in.
Mixed Vegetable Pickle
Lime Pickle
Cold Curry House Style Onion Chutney
Coriander and Mint Chutney
Mint Coriander and Mango Chutney
Smooth Garlic, Chilli and Mint Raita
Tomato Raita
Crispy and delicious. These are what poppadoms should be!
If you like this homemade poppadom recipe, you might like to try some of the Indian Vegetarian favourites.
Dum Aloo
Pakistani Chickpea Biryani
Punjabi Saag Curry
Punjabi Rajma
Butternut Squash Curry
Sri Lankan Green Beans Curry
Aloo Gobi
Saag Paneer
Onion Pakora Curry
Chana Saag Curry
Potato Curry
Mushroom Curry
Masala Corn
Gobi Manchurian
Bombay Potatoes
Masala Dosa
Saag Aloo
Tandoori Hummus
Tarka Dal
Masoor Dal
Dal Makhani
Chana Dal
Green Bean Thoran
Cabbage Thoran
Have you tried this homemade poppadom recipe?
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Yield: 10
Homemade Poppadoms
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Additional Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dhal flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida
- ¼ cup (approx.) water
Instructions
- Place the flour in a mixing bowl and stir in the salt and
bicarbonate 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 dry
dough 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.
