How to cook poppadoms

Poppadoms (also known as papads, papadums etc) are thin, Indian lentil crisps that are often served with an array of sundries as an appetiser in UK Indian restaurants. In Southern India, they are usually served as a side dish to a meal and in North India, as a snack like our Masala Papads recipe. 

To make poppadoms, combine flour or paste from lentils, chickpeas, black gram, rice or potatoes with salt and water to form a dough. The dough is then rolled out into thin round shapes and is left to dry out. Traditionally, poppadoms are left to dry out in the sun. 

Most Poppadoms that you will see in your supermarkets are already cooked. However, the Poppadoms that we sell are uncooked. This means you can just cook as many as you need and they will be fresh and warm for you to enjoy with your curry. We stock a wide range of Top-Op Poppadoms, they are super easy to cook and are just delicious!

Serve some Poppadoms with Rafi’s Pickles and Chutneys to complete your curry night. 

Microwave Poppadoms 

Place papadums in the microwave and cook on full power for 30 seconds. Check to see how well they are cooked, you may need to move them around. Continue until fully cooked. This method will give slightly different results but does save on using oil. Practice is required as all microwaves differ.

Over a Flame Poppadoms 

This is a very traditional cooking method in India. Roast your papadums over a medium flame, keeping them moving all the time to avoid burning. You want a lightly charred, brown colour for the best flavour.

Grilling Poppadoms 

Simply place one or two papadums under a preheated grill for a few seconds, turning if required. Caution: it is very easy to burn them under a grill so always keep an eye on them.

Frying Poppadoms 

Heat about 250ml vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or wok until it is hot. Slide a papadum into the pan and, with the assistance of two spatulas, gently press the edges down to retain the shape. The papadum should cook in seconds. When done, remove it from the pan using both spatulas and stand them on absorbent paper. Prepare these 1 hour prior to serving as this will help to drain the oil.

See our range here.

Papad, Pappadam, Poppadom - whatever you might call them, nothing quite beats their crunchy, crispy texture. Papadums are traditionally made from black gram flour (or urid flour if you want to impress your friends) mixed with a selection of different spices and a small amount of vegetable oil. Once this has been kneaded into a nice dough, it is then portioned up and flattened into paper-thin rounds and dried.

We’d love to hear if these tips have helped you in the kitchen. Let us know your feedback on our Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. We love to see your curry creations, so please send us your foodie photos across.