Indian Pappadam Crackers with Curried Cashew Dip
Crazy bubbly puffy pappadams couple perfectly with this creamy spicy vegan dip. Leave the crackers whole and so people can break them into shards themselves, or break them into 3-inch chips before arranging on platters. Makes about 1 ½ cups dip.
Servings: 1 cups
Ingredients
- Plan on 2 or 3 pappadams per person.
For the dip:
- 1 cup raw cashews , whole or pieces (see note)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- ¾ teaspoon prepared curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1- inch knob fresh ginger root , peeled and chopped, about 1 tablespoon
- 1 or 2 serrano chiles , seeded and chopped (I used only one)
- ⅓ to 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
For the pappadams:
- Deep-fry, toast over an open flame, or microwave the flat round disks following the cooking instructions on the package.
For the curried cashew dip:
- Put cashews in a bowl, cover with water and refrigerate. Let soak 2 to 4 hours. (see note)
- Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the shallot and cook and stir until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cumin and cook another minute. Let cool.
- Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Put in a blender. Add lemon juice, salt, ginger, chile, cooled curried shallots and 1/3 cup of the water.
- Blend until very smooth, adding more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed for a smooth puree. Stop to scrape down the sides of the container.
- Taste and add more salt if you like. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Whole cashews need to soak and soften for more time than cashew pieces.
- Microwave cooking times may vary due to different power wattages. Cook a test pappadam first, and adjust your cooking time accordingly.
- As soon as the entire disk has bubbled and puffed it’s done—any longer, it quickly burns.