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Pappada vada
Fried pappadam fritters
പപ്പടവട: whole pappadams dipped in a spiced rice-flour and sesame batter and fried shatteringly crisp
Pappada vada is a Kerala tea-shop snack from the stretch between Thrissur and Palakkad, where a jar of them sits on the counter beside the banana fritters for the four o'clock chai break. Plain urad pappadams are dunked in a thin, chilli-red rice-flour batter with sesame and hing, then fried until the coating turns into a glassy, bubbly crust around the crisp pappadam inside. They are salty, peppery and loud to eat, and they keep in a tin for a week. The usual mistake is a thick batter: it fries into a hard, oily shell, so it should coat the back of a spoon thinly, like single cream. Chef's tip: use the small Kerala pappadams, not the big spiced Punjabi ones, and fry two at a time so the oil stays hot.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 3 ½ oz fine rice flour
- 1 tbsp black or white sesame seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup water
To fry
- 12 small Kerala pappadamsabout 8 cm across
- 2 cups coconut or sunflower oilfor deep-frying
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 ½ oz fine rice flour, 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tbsp black or white sesame seeds, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and ½ tsp salt in a shallow bowl, then add ¾ cup water slowly, whisking out every lump. It should be thin and run off a spoon in a steady ribbon.
3 minStep 2: Pour 2 cups coconut or sunflower oil into a heavy kadai or deep pan so it is no more than a third full and heat over medium to 350°F on a thermometer; without one, drop in a drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise at once. Never leave the hot oil unattended. The batter should puff and float within two seconds.
6 minStep 3: Dip one of the 12 small Kerala pappadams into the batter, turning it so both sides are coated, and let the extra drip off for a moment.
1 minStep 4: Slide it into the oil and fry, pressing gently with a slotted spoon so it stays flat, until the bubbling slows and the coating turns pale gold and stiff, about 40 seconds a side. Fry two at a time.
8 minStep 5: Lift out, drain upright in a colander lined with kitchen paper, and cool completely; they crisp further as they cool. Store in an airtight tin.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pappada vada take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of kashmiri red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
- What can I use instead of black or white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
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