Roasted Poppadom, Courtesy of Wikipedia

Introduction

Poppadom, pronounce correctly as pop·pa·dom, or Paapad, is an Indian tradional food made into thin round crispy wafers. It serves as an addition to a meal, as a snack or as an appetizer glazed with a variety of condiments, and dips. These unleavened breads are garnished with various spices and herbs. Some papads come in many flavors, popular ones included plain, garlic, and pepper. Locals say that it is rich in protein and dietary fiber.

 Urad flour

Method

Traditional ingredients in making a plain Poppadom includes Urad flour, Salt, Rice Flour, Condiments, Edible Oil. Urad flour is made by grinding black gram pulses or lentils into a fine powder. These are combined and made into thin dough and formed into thin, round shape. During preparation, spices, chilies, garlic and other herbs are added. Once the dough is ready, Poppadom can be prepared in several ways depending on the desired texture; On top of electric or gas stove, Microwave and deep-fried.

Poppadom served with Cassava, Rice Dessert, Raita, Tamarind and Chutney
Courtesy of Ruth and Dave, Flickr

Serving

Poppadom now enjoys popularity amongst people who are looking for an alternative taste. It can be found mostly on curry houses, specialty restaurants and in places with high Indian population. Avid eaters of this flat bread say that it is rich in protein, dietary fiber and quite addictive because of its spice flavors that are sure to be craved upon. You can check this following websites on how to prepare your very own Poppadom to impress your boss and friends:

http://www.sunrisepappad.com/recipes.html

http://www.ganeshpapad.com/recipe.htm

http://www.ifood.tv/network/papad/recipes