Topic: Poppadom (moved)

[Peripatetic Phil]

Just did a test frying of Rajah & TRS Madras poppadom; as I suspected, but had never previously confirmed, the TRS have a significantly better flavour. 

** Phil.

[Onion B]

Hi Phil,

How exactly do you fry your popadums?

When I put mine in hot oil they curl up like those party whistles and come out (after 3 seconds) soaked in vegetable oil, left on a kitchen towel to dry out, 30 mins later they taste like vegetable oil.

Thanks
O.B

[Peripatetic Phil]

Hi Phil,

How exactly do you fry your popadums?

When I put mine in hot oil they curl up like those party whistles and come out (after 3 seconds) soaked in vegetable oil, left on a kitchen towel to dry out, 30 mins later they taste like vegetable oil.

Thanks
O.B

Sounds as if your oil is not sufficiently hot.  I take mine up to 190C at full power, then back it off to about 85% while I fry the poppadom.  I hold them down in a vertical-sided earthenware crockpot or a good deep wok using metal kitchen tongs spread wide, then after just a few seconds grab one of edges that will by then have emerged above the oil, rapidly withdraw the poppadom, and hold it above the crockpot until all the excess oil has drained off.  I then stand it vertically in a wicker basket lined with kitchen paper, and repeat until the basket will hold no more.  They can then be eaten fresh, or if you want them on subsequent days, warm them in a cool oven (no more than 80C) for ten to fifteen minutes.  Always serve them on fresh kitchen paper in a wicker basket to allow any residual oil to leach away from the poppadom and to allow the poppadom to breath.

** Phil.

[curryhell]

My method is to heat the oil, testing the temperature with small pieces of poppadum.  When the piece expands almost as soon as it hits the oil, then is the time i start frying them.
I use a standard frying pan that you'd do your full English in, about 25 to 30cm diameter,  measured across the top. Fill it 3/4 full of oil and heat till it reaches the right temperature as described above.
Then with two egg slices very close by i slide two poppadums into the oil.  I then grab the egg slices and use the flat surfaces to submerge the poppadums. Almost immediately i remove them and turn them over and submerge them again then lift them out, prop them up vertically to drain on a plate lined with kitchen roll. The whole process is very very quick. i don't adjust the temp since you will cook a dozen of these very quickly and the temp will remain stable because of the constant introduction of poppadums into the frying pan.   Rule of thumb though is once they stop swelling they're cooked.  A second or two of over cooking is no harm but any more can impair the flavour.  I reuse the oil several times for poppadum or onion bahji frying until there is a discernable colour change.
Using this method i  manage to produce poppadums that look and taste no different to those servered in any BIR.

Hope this helps.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I've read about this "fry two at once" method, and some authorities claim that that is how the majority of restaurants do it, but I have never found on trying it myself that it offers anything extra above and beyond the simple "hold one down and don't turn it" approach.  What benefits do you see, CH ?

** Phil.

[curryhell]

Not sure how my local BIR does theirs Phil but one obvious advantage i see is that it takes less time to fry more poppadums :.  The more subtle advantage IMO is that the poppadum on the top creates some resistance and forces the one below to expand outwards rather than wrinkle and cook in a nonuniform shape while expanding, if you know what i mean ;D ;D.  Tried doing one at a time and soon reverted back to two at once method.  Seemed to give much more control over the cooking process.

[Stephen Lindsay]

I like my poppadoms all curly cause they make better "spoons" for scopping up dips, chutneys etc.  ;D

[Razor]

I like my poppadoms all curly cause they make better "spoons" for scopping up dips, chutneys etc.  ;D

Don't know why Stephen but that statement made me giggle so much but I know exactly what you mean ;D

I fry mine two at a time for pretty much the same reasons as Curryhell does.  The pops do seem to stay flatter and expand better in the oil.

Ray

[Stephen Lindsay]

Razor I've just scoffed three curly poppadoms with brinjal and lime pickles, mango chutney and yellow mint sauce

scrummy!!!

[Peripatetic Phil]

One (possibly important) question, CH & Ray : what sort of poppadom do you use ?  I don't mean which brand, but which of the two widely available variants : the Madras popaddom, which are about 6" in diameter and about 0,55mm thick, or the generic popaddom, which are closer to 8" in diameter and maybe 0,35mm thick ?

(Yes, I'm a sad s@d : I have just taken a vernier caliper to a Madras poppadom to get its dimensions : can you get any sadder than that ?!).

The reason I ask, of course, is that they behave very differently when fried.

Stephen : wot, no onion salad ?!
** Phil.