How to make poppadoms

An epicurean adventure to: India

You're seated at your favourite British Indian restaurant, eagerly awaiting your mouth-watering curry. What almost always kicks off this culinary journey? A generous plate of poppadoms and an array of delectable poppadom sauces of course! It's the prelude to a dining experience all curry lovers look forward to.

But what if we told you that you could recreate this experience at home? It's not only easy but also surprisingly quick. You will never buy ready-made, sad-looking poppadoms from the supermarket again, no siree!

In this post, we're diving into three fantastic ways how to make Poppadoms at home, plus, we'll tell you our favourite way of doing it:

• Making poppadoms from scratch.
• Making poppadoms from uncooked poppadoms (papads).
• Making microwave poppadoms.

Imagine your next curry night with friends. The sauces, prepared with care the day before, are neatly arranged in charming little bowls. The rich aroma of your simmering curry fills the air and the dining table is humming with anticipation.

Then, the pièce de résistance! You proudly present a large plate of freshly cooked poppadoms, made by your own fair hands. It's a curry night that will linger in your guests' memories long after the last bite.

Sounds nice? Then read on!

Fast facts - India

What are Poppadoms?

A poppadom is an Indian dough of urad flour or rice flour, flattened into a disc, then dried and either deep fried or cooked with dry heat until crunchy and puffy.

Other flours made from chickpeas, tapioca, millet or potato are also used.

Poppadoms are typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka or as an appetiser, often with an array of sauces like various chutneys or raitas.

If you haven't tried this tasty Indian snack before, you've been sorely missing out!

What other names is it known by?

Poppadoms go by various names across different parts of India.

In South India, they're often referred to as "appalam," whereas in the North, you'll hear them called "papad." You might also come across synonyms like "pappadam," "pappadum," "appadam," "appaddum," "papadum," and "papadom."

Despite these different names, they all share the same characteristics: Thin, round and wonderfully crispy.

What to serve with poppadoms

• As a side dish alongside curries or rice dishes
• Mango chutney
• Coconut chutney
• Tamarind chutney
• Cold onion chutney
• Tomato chutney
• Indian mint sauce
• Cucumber raita
• Coriander chutney

Are poppadoms gluten-free?

Absolutely, poppadoms are gluten-free.

Typically, they are made from flours like lentils or chickpeas, which do not contain gluten. This means that individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease can safely enjoy poppadoms without any concerns.

Calories in poppadoms

Uncooked poppadoms typically contain approximately 30-40 calories per poppadom.

However, the final calorie count can vary depending on the cooking method you choose. If you opt for deep-frying, the calorie count can increase significantly, roughly doubling the initial calorie estimate.

Poppadoms maintain a relatively low-calorie count when compared to many other snacks and appetisers.

Are poppadoms vegan?

Yes, poppadoms are typically vegan. They are traditionally made from plant-based ingredients like chickpea flour unless the cook uses dairy-based ghee or flavourings.

Now, let's get to the important part - How to make Poppadoms!

Method 1: How to make poppadoms from scratch

Making poppadoms completely from scratch can be an exciting kitchen adventure! However, it's worth mentioning that it requires some patience and effort.

You'll need urad flour and asafoetida for this. While you should easily find asafoetida in any good supermarket, you might need to do a bit of hunting, possibly in Asian supermarkets or online, to locate urad flour.

The process involves creating a stiff dough, shaping it into very thin rounds using a rolling pin or tortilla press and allowing them to dry before cooking. These discs are typically dried in the sun.

What's great about making your own poppadoms is that you have the freedom to add your own flavours to the dough like fresh garlic, garlic powder, chillies or spices like cumin seeds, chaat masala, cayenne pepper and black pepper.

We haven't personally tried this method and this is largely due to living in the UK, with not many opportunities to leave homemade papads outside in the sun to dry!

We recommend relying on the expertise of the amazing cook, 'The Curry Guy.' He has an excellent video guide that takes you step by step through the process of making poppadoms from scratch. He also has a very good poppadom recipe on his site.

No doubt, it's a rewarding culinary project for those who enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and want to try something special. It's still very much on our to-do list. C'mon British weather!

Method 2: How to make poppadoms from uncooked poppadoms - Our nr.1 choice!

This is our absolute favourite way to make poppadoms! It's a "half-way" method that skips the hassle of making the papad, shaping it and sun-drying it.

Instead, you can purchase uncooked papads from various sources, such as Sainsbury's, Asian supermarkets or online from Amazon. We'll be deep-frying these for the ultimate puffiness.

Look for the plain Madras papads.

Alternatively, if you're in the UK, you can opt for Sharwood's uncooked poppadoms, which they label as "Low Fat Microwaveable Poppadoms".

In our experience, it's exactly the same as buying the plain Madras uncooked poppadoms, but it's far more widely available. We buy ours from Morrisons.

Use any oil with a high smoking point like sunflower oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil. Olive oil will not be suitable.

Here are our simple steps on how to cook them

1. Fill a large, deep saucepan, wok or kadai with oil.

2. The oil needs to be at least 5cm/1" deep in your chosen cooking vessel.

3. Heat the oil over a medium-high heat until it's very hot, around 200°C/392°F if you're using a thermometer. Alternatively, break off a small piece of papad and drop it into the oil. It should sizzle and rise to the surface almost instantly. That's when the oil is ready.

4. When the oil is ready, carefully drop a papad into the hot oil. Press it down with tongs or a fork so it's completely covered in the oil.

5. The poppadom will immediately start to puff up and expand. It should take no more than 10 seconds. You don't need to turn it around.

6. As soon as the poppadom has fully expanded, remove it from the hot oil with a pair of tongs. Place the fried poppadoms on a plate covered with kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil.

7. Repeat the process for the remaining poppadoms.

8. The poppadoms will crisp up within a few seconds after it's been removed from the oil.

Method 3: How to make microwave poppadoms

Sadly, this is our least favourite way of making poppadoms. However, it has its benefits, such as being healthier. You also avoid the expense of the oil required for deep-frying.

1. Brush the uncooked papad generously with water on both sides. You can also use a little oil if you wish.

2. Place it on the microwave turntable and cook it for 50 seconds to 1 minute until it's fully expanded. This is based on an 800W microwave.

3. The poppadom will crisp up in a few seconds after you remove it.

Why don't we like it? Because the poppadom doesn't expand nearly as much compared to frying it in oil. It's not as crisp and fluffy either. It's just meh. And very, very sad-looking...See for yourself below.

Indian dips for poppadoms

Now that you've mastered making your poppadoms, you can also create your own accompaniments for poppadoms to enjoy with your next Indian meal.

The poppadoms at the infamous British curry houses (or BIRs - British Indian Restaurants) typically come with mango chutney, cold onion chutney and a creamy, dreamy mint yogurt sauce.

All three of these sauces are straightforward to make with our step-by-step photo guides. The mango chutney requires a bit more effort but it's far superior to store-bought versions. Plus, you can jar them and keep a well-stocked cupboard for your next poppadom adventure!

Storage

Homemade poppadoms can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a week. Ensure they are completely cooled to room temperature and crisp before storing.

How to keep poppadoms crispy

The secret to keeping poppadoms crispy is to store them in an airtight container or ziplock bags in a cool, dry place, away from moisture and direct sunlight.

If you've left poppadoms on the kitchen counter overnight you would have noticed they lost all their crispiness. This is what happens when they're exposed to air. The container you use to store them should be absolutely airtight.

Delicious curry recipes to go with your poppadoms

Chicken Handi curry

Nepalese chicken curry

Easy chicken Pasanda curry

Quick chicken Karahi

Aromatic beef curry with coconut milk