Papad is a dried lentil chip studded with Indian spices that comes alive when grilled or deep fried. It is served as an accompaniment to an Indian meal, as a snack and as croutons in soups. Papads are thin wafers made of urad dal.
Papads or Papadams is an example of the genius of Indian cuisine.  The Chinese took rice and wheat flour and transformed them into many many ingenious products.  India took the lentils and did the same.

They are excellent for entertaining and make good apetizers just by themselves.

Papads are made of lentils and thus are free from gluten, rich in protein and dietary fiber.
We carry two kinds of Papad -
-  North Indian papads and the smaller South Indian papadams or appalams.
-  North Indian papads may be roasted or deep fried but South Indian papads are best fried.

Frying Papad and Papadams
1. Heat oil or ghee.
2. Hold the papad with tongs, fry a few seconds until it expands.
3. Stand papadam on its edge in draining basket.
Serve with the meal

Roasting North Indian papads
1.  The pappadam is held between tongs and roasted evenly over an open gas flame. The whole process should not take more than 30 seconds. Quick and frequent turning is required to prevent burning. As soon as papad has changed color, curled up and become crisp, it is done.  This will require some practice with timing the turns and the intensity of the heat as papads burn up so quickly.
2.  If you are working with an electrical range - use a wok bottom to hold a grill away from the coils.  Place the papad on the grill and turn it as each side gets done.  Put the heat to medium high and repeat the above process.

Microwave cooking
Place a papad in the microwave oven and cook on high for 15 seconds. Stop flip cook for 15 more seconds. If your microwave has less power increase the time from 15 seconds to 20 seconds and upto 30 seconds on each side

Excellent with beer during a ball game
Serve as an appetizer.

© Kavita Mehta
photo credit Kavita Mehta