Papadam
A papadam or papad for short ( Devanagari : पापड [pāpaḍ]) is a very thin, deep-fried flatbread made from native bean flour . Papadams have a crunchy texture and are used in Indian and Sinhalese kitchen as a side dish or snack served. Pepper , chilli , cumin , garlic and other spices and herbs often give papadams a tangy flavor. There are also variations of chickpeas - or lentil flour or a mixture of lentils and rice flour .
The flat cakes, rolled out thinly in portions, are traditionally baked in hot oil, whereby the cakes rise evenly. Then let them cool down on a grid or absorbent paper. To reduce their high fat content, it is also possible to hold papadams in a hot clay oven with tongs , grill them on a wire rack or brush them thinly with oil and briefly heat them in the microwave . With these types of preparation, however, the dough does not rise as evenly as with deep-frying. Since papadams absorb moisture easily, they should be prepared fresh, no more than an hour before consumption.
