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When I buy 'cook at home' poppadoms or order from a restaurant/takeaway they are usually very crispy and expand and bubble up as soon as you fry them.

I tried a recipe for homemade poppadoms which consisted of gram flour and water (plus some seasoning and cumin), which I made into a dough and needed for a few minutes until it was smooth, rolled it into paper thin rounds, dried out gently then shallow-fried in about a cm of hot oil. They did not expand at all and turned out more like something between crackers and a flat bread.

I'm guessing they need some kind of raising agent to make them like the restaurant style ones? Are these style of poppadoms easy to make at home? Does anyone know the best way to make them?

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  • Please edit and post the details of your recipe and method. Did you knead the dough, and if so how long?
    – GdD
    Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 13:59
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    To make a true "restaurant style" poppadom, you use pre-made; that's the secret (I worked in a restaurant). NB. They're meant to bubble as soon as you fry them, you only stick them in the fat for a few seconds. If you think you're seeing excessive bubbling, possibly you've got the fat temperature too high; for commercial/bulk poppadoms it's usually 250°C/480ºF, but might be lower for supermarket ones.
    – Rab
    Commented Aug 21, 2020 at 10:24
  • Hi @Rab , could you explain what you mean by pre-made? I’m not seeing excessive bubbling. They’re not bubbling at all
    – Leroy
    Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 20:26
  • Hi @Leroy... they come like little uncooked thin-rolled patties; like on this page thismuslimgirlbakes.com/2018/01/…. If they're not bubbling, then the fat isn't hot enough (or possibly they're old). They're a bit funny; too low temp, they sit there and fizzle. You end up with an inedible solid floury chip/crisp. At the proper temp, they should go crazy and bubble up soon after they hit the fat. The entire process should take seconds.
    – Rab
    Commented Aug 26, 2020 at 11:40
  • Ah I see what you mean. I am trying to figure out the recipe to make them myself so I don't need to buy the pre-made ones. Thanks anyway
    – Leroy
    Commented Aug 27, 2020 at 9:47

4 Answers 4

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I'm not an authority on poppadoms (I hadn't heard of them before today...) but after some searching online (and identifying three different brands of "cook at home" poppadoms), checking some ingredient lists, and checking other recipes, I think I'm prepared to say that the difference between the recipe you've used and the "ready to cook" prepackaged versions is indeed the raising agents, as you thought.

The next immediate question, then, is how much to add? One recipe that I saw used a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with an entire pound of flour. That seems on the lower end, to me, but like I already said, I'm not a poppadom expert by any means. Frankly, I'd recommend using at least 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda for every 1/2 cup of flour.

The exact amount will depend on your recipe. I hope this is helpful. :)

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  • Thank you. This is very useful. I'll give it a go. I'll hold off a little longer before accepting an answer
    – Leroy
    Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 17:45
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I know this thread is a bit old, but just in case you are still struggling...

You might be using the wrong flour. Papads are made from Urad Atta which is made from Urad Lentils, not from gram flour (besan) which is made from Chickpeas.

It can be confusing because Urad Atta is sometimes called Black Gram Flour. If you can't find it, buy skinless urad lentils, dried ones, and grind it up in a spice grinder. I haven't tried, but I gather it works fine.

Then to that you add a tsp of Papad Kharo, otherwise known as Bicarbonate of Soda, and flavour how you like.

But Urad flour is essential.

Good luck!

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  • Thank you. I actually was using Besan gram flour. I will try again with Urad Atta
    – Leroy
    Commented Feb 24, 2023 at 18:57
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The main ingredient is Papad khar (an amalgamation of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate) that you can buy from Amazon.

(The) Correct recipe for making Papad is here (Poppadam or Poppadum is an anglicized version of Papad):

https://www.bawarchi.com/recipe/udad-dal-papads-oesx93eddcafg.html

Good luck.

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  • Thank you. I tried the recipe again with a good amount of sodium bicarbonate but it made very little difference I’m afraid. They did not expand at all. Unlike the shop bought ones that almost double in diameter
    – Leroy
    Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 20:31
  • I think it will need a few attempts to master. Please don’t give up. Good luck.
    – banavalikar
    Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 20:36
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If you are still looking for the answer.... When you knead your papad atta a.k.a. poppadum dough.... You need to knead it with very little water and more oil, so that it is tough and hard .... Then roll it thin.... Dry it under the sun (or in house with low humidity) once dry it's ready to be roasted or fried or baked how ever you prefer.

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