Topic: Poppadom (moved)

[Onion B]

Thanks for these great tips (and pics of Chef Kohninoor) l will try these temperature, TRS and oven warming tip's out v.soon.

You just can't beat Poppadoms with mint sauce, mango chutney and an onion salad as a late night snack.

OB.

[chriswg]

I think the warming over is important, don't you Chris ?  It really makes them dry & crispy, and helps lose any residual oil.  But not too warm, mind : 80C ?
** Phil.

Yep, absolutely essential for me. Eating them fresh from the oil is okay but they will always be greasy. 20 mins at about 80 degrees C will dry them our nicely. I find them better than the takeaway too, sometimes BIR ones can be a bit stale.

[Cory Ander]

Hi Onion B,

Simply whack 'em in really hot oil (i.e just below smokling point).  An inch, or so, in depth, in a frying pan, will suffice.  Keep them submerged with a fork (or something similar).  They should immediately (i.e within a couple of seconds or so) swell/puff up, to twice the size (test that they do this, first, with a small piece of a poppadom).  Turn them (using two forks, for example) and cook them for another second or so.  Remove them and place them (preferably vertically), on kitchen roll, to drain.

Either eat them immediately or keep them in a warming drawer (the oil won't drain, it will simply be absorbed into the poppadom).

As Phil says, if you're having to cook them, for more than about 4 seconds (total), then your oil isn't hot enough.

Patak and Sharwoods are very good (in my opinion)...and readily available from most supermarkets (albeit a little pricey compared to alternatives from Asian stores....which often have weavles in, I find...eeeeks) 

[Malc.]

You just can't beat Poppadoms with mint sauce, mango chutney and an onion salad as a late night snack.

Try a coconut chutney too, if you can find it. 

[PhilUK]

Hi
I agree with CA-my method is much the same, Use a big frying pan with around 1/2-3/4 inch good quality oil(I use groundnut oil).
Heat oil till nearly smoking-dip edge of poppadom in oil and if it Fizzes its hot enough.
Put poopadum in-couple of secs it should expand, then flip-I use cheap pair of metal kitchen tongs which work a treat.
I then have ready by the pan a side plate with kitchen paper on it, onto which I put a toast rack.
I then transfer poppadum to toast rack which allows any oil to run off onto kitchen paper.
I cook a weeks supply at once and keep them in a round cake tin which keeps them nice n fresh.

[Les]

This is from the KD1 cookbook

Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan until very hot but not smoking. Take two popadoms at a time, and holding them as one, carefully slip them into the hot oil. As soon as they are immersed turn them over using tongs or two fish slices. Hold the two popadoms together as one all the time. Allow no more than two seconds and remove from the hot oil.
Drain on kitchen paper upright (like toast in a toast rack), and not flat, for the best results.
Note. In the restaurant we use a large aluminium colander for this purpose and put the fried popadoms in side by side. The colander is then placed in a hot plate, a piece of equipment rather like the bottom section of a 'hostess' trolley. The technique allows the oil to drain away efficiently and keeps the popadoms warm, dry, and crisp. Placing the cooked popadoms in a warm oven will of course be just as effective.
Popadoms may be cooked several hours in advance and warmed just before serving.

[solarsplace]

... snip ...
I then transfer poppadum to toast rack which allows any oil to run off onto kitchen paper.
I cook a weeks supply at once and keep them in a round cake tin which keeps them nice n fresh.

Great tips!

Many thanks

[Onion B]

I'm off to buy a toast rack ;D.