What is Poppadom?
Versatile - Make Oil-Free Poppadoms too!
Dietary Requirements - Vegan-friendly.
Super Easy Party Nibble - Make Poppadums at home in just 15 seconds!
Budget-Friendly - Ready to fry Pappadom packets cost between 0.80£ to 2£ depending on the size.
Cheaper and Better than Restaurant Style - Home-fried Crispy Papad is superior to ready-to-eat ones. Supermarket ready to eat poppadom costs 1.25£ for 8 and they are so small in size.
Make-Ahead - Prepare ahead of time and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tasty with Dips and More - Enjoy with your favourite poppadom dips, chutneys, raitas, or pickles.
Uncooked Papads are available at Asian Grocery stores or in the Asian Isle in most supermarkets for 80p - 2.5£, each containing approximately 20 of them. TRS Special Madras Poppadoms, Natco Madras Plain Poppadum, Ajwa Pappadam, Lijjat Papad are some of the brands available to buy. You can cook them in microwave, deep fry it or cook over an open flame until crispy and serve with chutney or raita. Personally I am not a fan of miceowave and open flame method.
Some of the ready-to-eat pre-fried pappadams available in the market are Patak’s Plain Pappadums or even Tesco or Sainsbury’s own brand. Also, you only get 8 Ready to Eat Restaurant Style Pappadums for 1.25£.
I like Home fried poppadoms. They are so much better and quicker than the pre-fried ones or the ones from the takeaway. And it only takes 2 minutes to fry!!
There is a super easy solution to make Papadum at home and enjoy every single day. It is as easy as One Two and Three. You just need to buy a store-bought uncooked dried papadum’s packet, easily available in any Asian stores or Asian Isle in Supermarket, and deep fry it. Tadaa… Stack of homemade papadum is ready in less than 10 minutes.
I prefer opting for Store Bought Papadams in the UK as they are super quick and tasty too with everything!
Heat oil in a wok or a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add a piece of uncooked papad to check if the oil is hot enough. If it puffs up al-most instantly, I know the oil is hot enough to cook the remaining ones.
Slide 1 papad at a time to the heated oil. The poppadoms will quickly spread and curl up in the edges. Gently press the edges and middle down to ensure they cook properly. The papadum will cook in 10 -12 seconds.
Remove the fried poppadum with the tongs and place it on a kitchen paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
If you like add your own flavour like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chilli powder etc.
How to make Poppadoms in the microwave?
To make Poppadoms in the microwave, brush each poppadom with a little oil on both sides and place them on a plate. Microwave the plate for 30-40 seconds and watch the poppadoms crisp up quickly. However Deep Fried Papad tastes the best!! Just like the ones from your favourite takeaway served with curry and biryani.
What do you eat with Poppadoms?
People typically eat Plain Poppadums as an accompaniment to an everyday Indian meal. One can also serve Masala Poppadums as a starter or appetiser, topped with onion, tomato, carrots, chilli, and coriander. In traditional sadhya meals (like Onam Sadhya / Vishu Sadhya), people serve Kerala Pappadams along with Steamed rice, Erissery, Olan, Beans Thoran, Sambar, Rasam, Parippu, Puli Inji, and Payasam. One can also enjoy Poppadums with curry, split pea dal, biryani and raita.
Storing homemade poppadoms
Store the fried poppadoms in air tight containers in a cool dry place. My mum always stores the papadam in tall stainless steel containers, lined with a paper at the bottom. Alternatively you can also store them in ziplock bags. Most restaurants make them in bulk at least a week in advance. Still they are so good - isn’t it!! Remember to fry the papadams in hot oil rather than warm oil, and always do a test check before frying them. To keep your prepared papadams crispy, store them in zip-lock bags or airtight containers in a cool, dry place.
What is the difference between Pappadam and Appalam?
Pappadum and Appalam are the same - they are simply known by different names in different states of India. However, there are two kinds of papadam in India - Kerala Pappadams puffs up like Puri when fried and the Madras Poppadoms are like a flat crispy disc that curls up. Puffed-up Kerala Papadams are my favorite most.
Is Poppadom Vegan?
Yes, Papadams are 100% Vegan. There may only be risk on cross contamination in factories they are made.
Is this the Only way to Cook Poppadoms?
There are many ways to cook Poppadoms - Shallow fry like the restaurants, Air fry, Microwave, or Roast on open flames. Post a photo of your creation on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sandhyaskitchen. I would love to see your pictures! Subscribe to our weekly newsletters!
