Indian cuisine is as much about its accompaniments as it is about the kebabs and curries. Imagine a meal where you don’t have the tantalising achaars, chutneys or the crunchy papad. Disappointing, right? Papad is one amazing traditional Indian snack that is quite a staple in many cultures While the ingredients may differ from region to region, the recipe and its importance the same. I remember how my grandmother used to make papad at home in the old-school way. Now we have readymade papad available in the market which we simply need to fry. But did you know there are many different and unique papads across India?
Papad can be spiced or un-spiced, and can be made with different kinds pulses and flours like rice,ragi or millet. One can experiment to no end and that is exactly how Sindhi papad was born. A papad with an amalgamation of the Punjabi and Rajasthani flavours, Sindhi papad is made with urad dal and pepper from the Punjabi papad, and jeera from the Rajasthani one. Sindhi papad is also known to be nutritionally rich. The salty flavour compensates for the loss of sodium from the body during the hot summer season while the jeera and pepper fight phlegm in winters. Isn’t that interesting? It is a perfect melange of flavours that goes well in all climates. And if you are wondering how to make Sindhi papad, we’ve got the perfect recipe for you.
Ingredients
Dhuli urad dal flour 1 1/2 cups
Baking soda 1/2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Asafoetida 1/4 teaspoon
Black peppercorns 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Oil 1 tbsp (to grease)
Method
1. Heat 2 cups water in a non-stick pan. Add baking soda, salt and asafoetida, mix well and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Put black peppercorns in a mortar and crush coarsely with a pestle.
3. Mix together black gram flour, 1 tablespoon crushed peppercorns and cumin seeds in a bowl.
4. Add baking soda water and 1 tablespoon oil and knead to a smooth dough.
5. Add a tbsp oil, pound the dough for 6-8 minutes and stretch with your hands. Cover and rest the dough for 2-3 hours.
6. Roll into a cylinder and divide the dough into equal portions.
7. Line a papad press with a plastic sheet and grease with some oil. Place a dough portion on it, cover with another plastic sheet and press into thin disc. Similarly process the remaining dough portions
8. Transfer the discs on a plastic sheet and sun-dry for 2 days. Roast and serve.