Where Have All the Poppadoms Gone?
I have this brand-new jar of tandoori paste — yes, I know I should make my own from scratch, but I saw it and was suddenly gripped with a mad craving for tandoori tofu. These things just happen; it’s best not to ask why.
Unfortunately, to go with my tandoori tofu, I decided I wanted poppadoms as well.* While the tofu was draining, I did a few quick Googles, and . . . nothing. Does no one make poppadoms from scratch? I found a gazillion definitions for poppadoms, and quite a few recipes using premade ones as a component, but no guide for how to make them yourself came up in the first few pages, which is as far as I ever get before losing patience. I even tried all the variant spellings I know (pappadam, poppadam, poppadum) and all that Google could suggest. My favorite recipe sites all came up empty; a quick search of my cookbooks, both vegan and non, only came up with a recipe for chapatis, which is not the same thing.
There really must be a recipe out there somewhere (I’d happily veganize it myself, if necessary), and I’m just missing it. The thing is, I want poppadoms now, for my dinner tonight, and apparently I’m just not going to get any. ::sulk:: Guess I’ll have to make do with some frozen mini-samosas and a whole-wheat tortilla. Next time I’ll have to plan ahead, and give myself more than fifteen minutes to find a recipe that’s even slightly exotic.
Stupid no-easy-to-find-poppadom-recipe Web. Bleagh.
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*Can you tell I’ve been watching a lot of Red Dwarf DVDs lately?
I too struggled to find this recipe but at last I did and here it is for you, hope it is what you are looking for!
8 cups (1900ml) lentil flour
1 ts cracked black pepper
1 ts ground cumin seeds
1/2 ts salt
1/4 cup (60ml) water (or more if needed)
oil for frying
For 10 to 15 servings:
1. Mix flour, pepper, cumin and salt.
2. Add water and knead the dough until it is smooth. You may have to add some water, depending on the flour.
3. Split the dough into 10 or 15 balls.
4. Roll out one ball at a time to a very thin round layer on a slightly oiled surface.
5. Dry the papadums in the oven for an hour (at about 100°C or 200°F).
6. Right now you can keep them in an airtight container or something.
7. Fry the papadums in oil until they are crispy (not too brown!).
November 23rd, 2006 | #