pappadums

[Sleepy_Dragon]

There's probably an obvious answer to this, but here goes. In Indian restaurants which do buffets, I've noticed their quantity cooked pappadums are always perfectly flat. Sometimes whole, sometimes cut in half, but still flat and very easy to stack or lean against each other.

How is this accomplished?

Whenever I do mine, it's either fried or cut in half with each half placed in a toaster, all the while keeping an eye on them in order to rotate the halves before they scorch. But they always come out wavy and not at all flat and stackable this way. Doesn't bother me in the least, but it would be easier to transport flat ones.

Pat

[gingerly]

for what it's worth,the denser urad/moong mix masala papads when cooked in the microwave stay flat.the more delicate ones i usually brush with oil and pop in a preheated oven and they do get a bit blistered but stay reasonably flat.

[bague25]

Pat

How do you fry the papads? Deep or shallow?

The utensils used in papad fry are quite important!

Here’s how I do it –

Heat 1 cm oil in a frying pan, it helps to have a chimta (tongs, like a huge tweezer) and a flat spoon (like the spatula used to flip over chapatis). Slip your papad in hot oil – now the tricky part – as the papad expands in the oil, hold one end with the tongs and give small strokes with the spatula in the other hand, as if you were flattening the papad (which is what you are doing). For a few seconds, after being cooked, the papad is pliable and can be given shapes or flattened out.

I hope I’m making sense - this process is something that is perhaps best shown in a demo

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Fascinating! I think I can visualize what you're saying, bague. Interesting technique, I'll give it a whirl when the craving next hits.

Anyway, the ones I've seen in restaurant buffets are definitely not fried, but they come out so flat and neat. I'd love to know what toasting technique they're using, not just for the flatness but what seems like perfect stacks of a couple hundred pappadums in one shot. Surely it's not just one cook standing in front of the microwave nuking them one at a time?

My reason for inquiring about it took place tonight, where I wanted to bring some pappad and chutneys to a local egullet dinner; being confined to public transportation, being able to keep a mass quantity of cooked pappadums in a small contained space was important.

I didn't quite manage this, decided to chop through two packages of pappadums to make six triangle wedge shapes, then microwaved them eight at a time on a plate for 30 seconds. I know, not in the least bit traditional, but it seemed like an ok thing to do to ensure everyone could taste the four chutneys without needing to chomp on a whole or half disc of pappad to do it.

gingerly, I did notice that tonight about the ingredients making for different levels of flatness, one of the packages was urad daal pappad.

Pat

Edited June 25, 2004 by Sleepy_Dragon (log)

[bague25]

Sleepy_dragon

I forgot to mention microwave papads! That’s how I mostly make them – just spray pam or brush oil and nuke for 30 seconds (in my 900 watt microwave).

They are almost always flat and they don’t really take that much time (2 a minute that’s 20 in 10 minutes!)...edited to add - and they do not need your full attention you can do other things in the kitchen while that's happening (wizzing the chutney, for example)

Edited June 25, 2004 by bague25 (log)

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Hehe yeah, tonight was the first time I ever used a microwave to do pappadums, though I didn't use spray or oil. That did work out pretty well, though I didn't do it with whole discs. Maybe next time!

I take it the end result is a little crispier with Pam or oil?

Pat

[bague25]

I have questions for everyone – what are your fav papads? Do you just eat them plain or do masala papads or make ‘samosas’, or something else?

I love green chilli papads and my Sindhi neighbours (in Bombay’s) papads. I also love sweet potato and jackfruit papads (available in Bombay in the Canara stores)

[bague25]

I take it the end result is a little crispier with Pam or oil?

Let's say they taste and look more like the fried papads than the toasted ones. I do not like the toasted/roasted papads - unless I have loads of chutney/ketchup to drown the toasted taste

[gingerly]

I have questions for everyone – what are your fav papads? Do you just eat them plain or do masala papads or make ‘samosas’, or something else?

I love green chilli papads and my Sindhi neighbours (in Bombay’s) papads. I also love sweet potato and jackfruit papads (available in Bombay in the Canara stores)

bague that description of frying papads had me in splits-perfect and i can picture it so well-the paddling of hot oil up the surface of the papad while controlling the curl!oh for a simpler time when all this calorie and time conciousness were but a distant rumble in someone elses stomach and there was no need to defend or justify your lifes revolving around the pursuit and preparation of food!

as a kid i had a mad liking for those white( sago?rice? )papads that looked like and tasted like styrofoam packing balls-like pop rocks on the tongue.on visits to an elderly relative,a plate of writhing'rose papads' in all their lurid, multicoloured glory,would appear just for me!the other great favorite in that series was those tubular yellow ones that you see hanging in plastic bags from a lot of corner shops in the south.we knew them as 'goldfingers' and of course they were duly slipped over ones fingers and and waggled around accompanied by attempts to do a shirley bassey!

but enough of that-these days it's mostly the staid madras appalams and jeera papads and those lovely jackfruit ones when i can get my hands on them.i don't do anything clever with them unless the disappearing trick counts.

edit.for vanished letter.

Edited June 25, 2004 by gingerly (log)

[BBhasin]

Indian restaurants usually roast their papad in the tandoor.

A bit of the papad is moistened and this wet part of the papad is pressed against the lip of the tandoor so it hangs above the hot charcoals and gets done in 10 to 15 secs. The cook then pulls it out. For the next FEW secconds, while the papad is still hot it is quite pliable, can be shaped and will hold that shape when it cools and gets firm and brittle. The cook simply pats it flat on on any hard surface and stacks them. While still hot and pliable, you can fold a papad into half, roll it like a flutas or even press it between two bowls to shape it like a bowl for serving a small salad etc.

I am sure you can do the same after microwaving or stove-top broiling.

Just get to it before it cools!

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Thank you very much for explaining this, BBhasin. How nice it is to have people here to explain these behind the scenes mysteries.

As for shaping the pappadums, clearly the possibilities for frou frou are endless. I need to build up heat resistant calluses on my fingertips anyway...

Pat

[Episure]

as a kid i had a mad liking for those white( sago?rice? )papads that looked like and tasted like styrofoam packing balls-like pop rocks on the tongue.

Peculiarly most bars in Paris serve these alongwith drinks.

Imagine Pernod accompanied by Kheechas.

[gingerly]

Imagine Pernod accompanied by Kheechas.

chichi-

[Episure]

Papaddom preach.

[gingerly]

do it with appalomb.

[Episure]

I am appalled.

[gingerly]

don't feel badi ly

i'm gatti ing outta here..

[Episure]

We are just kheeching each others legs.

[gingerly]

uhuh-just-wafer it- sandigeing each other up heheh!

[Episure]

Too much dal flinging.

Besan me mucho.

[gingerly]

what kind of fulwadi d'ya take me for?one restraining order and a hairnet please!

[gingerly]

Lanson -chicken tikka masala flavour

[bague25]

as a kid i had a mad liking for those white( sago?rice? )papads that looked like and tasted like styrofoam packing balls-like pop rocks on the tongue.

Peculiarly most bars in Paris serve these alongwith drinks.

Imagine Pernod accompanied by Kheechas.

Episure

Clearly you and I do not go to the same bars in Paris...

Names please, I must check this out at next visit to Paris in 2 weeks time...

[Episure]

It was a long time ago, opposite the Gare du Nord. I developed a liking for Pastis/Ricard/Pernod when I found I was the only one drinking scotch there.

They gave me the rectangular strips of fried rice/sago Papad. The same kind that is served at Parsi weddings with Rogers aerated drinks.

[bague25]

It was a long time ago, opposite the Gare du Nord. I developed a liking for Pastis/Ricard/Pernod when I found I was the only one drinking scotch there.

They gave me the rectangular strips of fried rice/sago Papad. The same kind that is served at Parsi weddings with Rogers aerated drinks.

Thanks, episure

Lets see if they still do it...

I arrive at the Gare du Nord and I always have a drink as I get out of the train (but usually at the station)... will report back... thanks...