Masala Papad Salad Recipe
Discover the delightful world of Masala Papad Salad Recipe or Indian Cracker, a perfect companion to your tea indulgence. Bid farewell to calorie-loaded off-the-shelf snacks and embrace the wholesome goodness of healthy Indian Papad.
While I often enjoy them plain roasted, there are moments when I crave a bit of spice. That’s when I whip up a zesty salad to accompany the crispy, crunchy papad, tantalizing my taste buds with a burst of flavours, chillies, and tangy lemon zest.
Reminiscing about childhood days brings back memories of competing in tongue twisters like “Kacha papad, Pakka papad” for hours on end. Oh, the laughter that ensued when it morphed into “pacha pakkad”!
What is a papad or Indian Cracker?
So, what exactly is papad? It’s a thin Indian wafer, akin to a cracker or flatbread, crafted from an assortment of lentils and seasoned with an array of spices, with black pepper being a favourite in North India.
Whether served as an accompaniment to a meal or as a standalone snack, papads hold a special place in Indian cuisine. Restaurants often serve roasted papads as a prelude to the main course, keeping your appetite alert and tantalized.
There are two main varieties of papad – the large North Indian ones, which we can fry or roast, and the smaller South Indian appadams or appalams we can only fry.
Preparing the perfect papad is an art, passed down through generations. My mother used to regale me with tales of how a girl’s prowess in roasting papads was once a criterion for marriage eligibility!
How to roast a perfect Papad?
To roast papad to perfection, gently hold it above a flame, flipping it rapidly to ensure even cooking. The result? A non-greasy, crunchy delight with just the right amount of char and flavour.
Join me in savouring the timeless tradition of papad roasting, and let’s celebrate the joy it brings to our culinary adventures!
Spicy Masala Papad Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
2 papad
2 medium onions diced very finely
2 tomatoes medium size, seeded and diced very finely
1/2 deseeded cucumber, chopped finely
1 tablespoon coriander finely chopped
1 teaspoon slivers of ginger
1 green chilli finely chopped, optional
1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry roasted cumin seeds powder
1/4 teaspoon black salt
A pinch of red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Method:
Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, coriander, ginger, and green chilli. Drizzle with lemon juice sprinkle the spice mix on top and mix well.
Take one piece of papad top it with the tangy salad and serve immediately as the papads will become soggy otherwise and am sure you want your papad to be nice and crunchy.
You can even make stuffed papad rolls…stuffing of your choice. Wet the papad in water, put the stuffing in the centre roll it like a spring roll and stick the edges with a flour paste. Put a clove to seal the folds and fry in hot oil.
Did you like this Masala Papad Salad Recipe or Indian Cracker?
Check out Roasted Makhana Peri Peri or Pudina Flavour or Caramel Makhana or Oven Roasted Peanuts for a healthy snack.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Bohemian Bibliophile.
It is a great starter and the burst of flavours when you take and bite is just awesome. I am glad that you also included how to roast a papad because they often get burnt in the process or give a raw taste when unevenly cooked.
Harjeet ji, I remember that every time I want to have something with khichdi or simple daal chawal, i fry papad. But masala papad seems very innovative, and one can try it as a snack too. I would love to try this . Thank you.
I quite enjoy having masala papad and your post has reminded me to add this to my menu for an office party I am planning!
This is a good way of serving instead of nachos. I have never had Indian papads this way before and will surely try it out. Thank you for sharing this.
Yes, I like this Masala Papad. It is our family favourite. It tastes awesome with any drink ,😜
And it is a tasty starter too. I often make it at home.
I am not particularly a papad fan but I do like to have it ocassionally. Your post brought back an ooooold memory Harjeet. I learnt to have masala papad when i used to hangout with this group of boys who were in a band. Whenever we went out, they only ordered masala papad with their drinks as they couldn’t afford any other starter… hahaha. I had started liking it too although I was a teetotaler back then.
Wow, this recipe sounds like a flavor explosion. I can already imagine the crunchiness of the papad with the tangy salad on top. And those stuffed papad rolls.. What a creative twist! Can’t wait to give this a try for a snack or appetizer. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Fast and some chat patta taste.
Seems really interesting, perfect for some cozy days with partner
This recipe is so simple and yet yummy to eat. I make this alot in my house as my family loves it. I variate it and crush the papad and add at the end along with the chopped onion & tomatoes as it becomes less messy for the kids.
I didn’t know Masala Papad is called Indian Cracker? We learn something new everyday I guess. Oh my, that “Kacha papad, Pakka papad” line brought back so many childhood memories. Somehow I never won in this particular tongue twister game and would be one of the first with the “pacha pakkad” fiasco 😆
This is a such a easy recipe. And thank you for that gem in the end ‘stuffed papad rolls’ have never tried that and will be doing it next time when papads are in our meal add-ons or part of our snack-time 😍😋
interesting recipe. Stuffed papad rolls? Never heard of it. Thanks for sharing Harjeet.
Goos recipe. I don’t eat papads but this masala is one of my favourites. I like to have it with baked potato chips. It’s quite tasty!
Yumm yumm yummm.
Favourite 🔥
I hail from Amritsar. And this is a very famous dish during our parties till date. Light on belly, great on taste and easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
Mam do your remember the name of Lijjat Papar… when I was a kid this brand of paper was very popular and my papa used to bring it and the taste was super yummy. My mom used to prepare the masala papar in same manner and mix it up with muri or murmura and the taste used to be super yummy. Thank you for making me revisit my childhood again.
Ah, the delightful world of Masala Papad Salad Recipe! Your description has me craving a taste of that zesty salad paired with crispy papad, perfect for a tea indulgence. It’s refreshing to bid farewell to calorie-loaded snacks and embrace the wholesome goodness of healthy Indian Papad.
Definitely a favourite dish. Something that I order everytime along with the starters. Absolutely lip smacking.
Store bought papads have more salt. Would try this recipe for sure. Cooking is considered important criterion in an arranged marriage even today😄.
Our meal is incomplete without papad. Even when we go out this is the first thing that we order. I love the name Indian cracker. As far as my liking is Cv insider I love only four toppings that is onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander and yes squeeze little lemon on the top.. Yum yum
I have never seen a masala papad, this sounds yummy and refreshing. I will try this over the weekend as a snack.
Reading about this Recipe brought back nostalgic memories of enjoying papads during childhood. I have never tried masala papad salad, would love to give it a try but whenever I try roasting a papad, it always gets burnt. I need to learn that first. 😀 Thanks for the recipe!
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This sounds really yummy and is making me salivate!