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Masala papad
Papad with onion and tomato topping
मसाला पापड़: a crisp papad heaped with onion, tomato, chilli and chaat masala, the classic Mumbai bar-and-restaurant starter
Order drinks at an Irani café or a Udupi restaurant in Mumbai and masala papad arrives before you have looked at the menu: a big crisp disc, roasted or fried, buried under chopped onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander, dusted with chaat masala and chilli powder, with a squeeze of lemon. It is part salad, part cracker, and it disappears in minutes. At home it is the easiest party starter there is, made in the time it takes guests to sit down. Use any good urad or moong papad, homemade or bought. Fried papads give a richer, puffier base; flame-roasted ones are lighter and smokier. Common mistake: topping the papads too early, so the juice from the tomato and onion soaks in and they go limp. Chef's tip: deseed the tomato and salt the topping only at the last moment, then pile it on and serve within two minutes.
- Total time
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the papads
- 4 urad or moong dal papadslarge; check the label is gluten-free
- ¾ cup sunflower oil (optional)only if frying
For the topping
- 1 red onionsmall, finely chopped
- 1 tomatodeseeded and finely chopped
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderfinely chopped
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
To serve
- 2 tbsp fine besan sev (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Roast each 4 urad or moong dal papads with tongs over a medium gas flame for 20–30 seconds, turning all the time, until blistered and evenly pale gold. Or heat ¾ cup sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat and fry each papad for a few seconds until it expands, then drain on paper.
3 minStep 2: Mix 1 red onion, 1 tomato, 1 green chilli and 2 tbsp fresh coriander in a bowl. Keep it unseasoned until the moment you serve.
5 minStep 3: Just before serving, season the topping with half the ½ tsp chaat masala (gluten-free), 1 pinch salt and 1 tsp lemon juice and toss.
1 minStep 4: Lay the papads on plates, spread the topping over them right to the edges, and sprinkle with the rest of the ½ tsp chaat masala (gluten-free), ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and 2 tbsp fine besan sev. Serve straight away.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 85 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masala papad take?
- About 12 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 4 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of tomato?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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