How To Make Poppadoms

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Home fried poppadoms so much better than the packaged poppadoms you find at the shop!

Whether you spell them poppadoms, poppadom, papadums or papadoms, you are probably looking at this recipe because you love these tasty pre-dinner snacks. 

Frying and serving your own poppadoms is so much more enjoyable than simply placing a few shop bought pre-fried poppadoms on the table. This is how the chefs at good Indian restaurants prepare their poppadoms. It’s how I do it too unless I decide to go all out and make my own poppadoms from scratch.

About this poppadom recipes.

Frying poppadoms like this is easy so you really should give it a try. Here I want to show you how to fry poppadoms and make them look just as good as you fine at restaurants.

There is a trick to it and if you look at the photos that follow, you will see how easy that trick is.

How do you choose papads to fry into poppadoms?

There are many different brands out there and they all taste about the same. Some are thicker than other which turn really crispy, where other are really thin which is nice if you like to stick your finger in a stack of poppadoms to break them for serving.

Be sure to look for the thickness you prefer. It is also a good idea to decide if you would like flavoured poppadoms. I like them flavoured with black pepper, green chillies and also cumin but you might find other options you want to try.

How do you serve poppadoms?

At curry houses in the UK, poppadoms are usually served as a starter with a selection of raitas, pickles and chutneys. That is a good way to serve them at home too.

In India, these popular snacks are not usually served as a starter but to give texture to a dish. Often they are served on top of a curry such as this coconut chicken curry.

They offer a crispy texture which together with the curry always goes down well. 

How do you get your poppadoms really flat like they are at restaurants?

If you have ever fried poppadoms before, you may have found that they are rather difficult to stack. This is because they naturally get larger in the hot oil and do not always stay very uniform.

There are two things you can do to get them to look like those you find at restaurants. First, always fry the poppadoms in twos. Frying two together will not only speed up the process but it also helps keep them flat.

Another trick is to weigh them down with a heavy plate when they first come out of the oil. 

How do you make your own papads for poppadoms?

Papads are the thin lentil discs needed to make poppadoms. They are available at almost all Asian grocers. I’ve even seen them sold at some supermarkets. 

The discs are made by preparing a dough and then flattening small balls of the dough before drying them. Purchasing papads is a lot easier but you will enjoy homemade poppadoms much more. 

If you would like to give it a go, you should check out my recipe here.

Is this the only way to cook poppadoms?

Nope. Frying them like you do in this recipe is the way it would be done at Indian restaurants. You could also cook them in a microwave for about 30 – 40 seconds and watch as they become crispy. It actually works and with a lot less oil since there is no deep frying.

One of my favourite ways to cook them is on a barbecue or in a frying pan. Simply place the papads on a medium-high heat and flip them often until they are cooked through and crispy. 

Working ahead and storage

You can fry these up  a good week in advance. That’s how they are done at most restaurants. Keep the fried poppadoms in air-tight containers in a cool location such as a cupboard.

Useful equipment.

• Tongs: These come in really handy for placing the papads in the oil and getting them back out again.
• A wok or high-sided pan: This is used for deep frying. Most home deep fat fryers are not large enough to fry the papads as they do get bigger when fried.
• Paper towels: You need these to soak up any excess oil on the cooked poppadoms.
• A heavy plate: A plate or something else heavy enough to weight the freshly cooked poppadoms down.

Step by step photographs of the frying process.

Do you have to weigh the poppadoms down?

No. This is done only for presentation and to make serving easier. If you are just cooking a few, it really is not needed.

Then again, perhaps you like the idea of a huge stack of crispy poppadoms at the table. You can decide which you prefer. 

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

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you’ve got to try!

1. Curry house style base sauce – Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
2. Lamb Bhuna from Scratch – This one is from my book ‘The Curry Guy One Pot’
3. One Pot Chicken Dhansak – from my book ‘The Curry Guy One Pot
4. Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
5. Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
6. Peruvian Chicken – Pollo a la Brasa
7. Korean Braised Beef Stew
8. Dal Makhani – An Indian restaurant favourite!
9. Tonkotsu Broth – When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
10. Tonkotsu Ramen – Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
11. The Best Butter Chicken – Try it and you’ll agree.
12. Authentic Saag Recipe – This is so good
13. Thai Beef Green Curry – Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
14. Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
15. Cajun Mac and Cheese – The creamiest mac on the planet!
16. One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
17. Chicken 65 – One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
18. One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
19. Homemade Sriracha Sauce – So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
20. Tandoori Chicken Tikka – Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this poppadoms recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

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