How to fry Pappadum

As requested by some lovely people, here is a video demonstration of how to fry pappadum. Below the video, I've included some written instructions to help you along your way. My parents very sweetly filmed the clip for me - my mother is frying the pappadum, and my father is capturing it on his smartphone. I did some editing and added the text and transitions.

I found the video very relaxing to watch. It's almost hypnotic - hearing the pappad sizzle in the oil, listening to the tap-tap-tap on the side of the vessel, and that beautiful crunch sound when the pappads come into contact with one another. I'm almost expecting lunch! :)

1. Watch the video first.

2. Secure a vessel with a rounded base.

3. Heat some cooking oil in this vessel for about 3 minutes over a medium-to-high heat. You can use pretty much any vegetable oil (e.g., sunflower), but not olive oil.

4. Before starting the frying process, check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small piece of pappadum in the hot oil. If it doesn't look like anything much is happening, then the oil's not hot enough.

5. Once you have the right temperature, ensure that you maintain the same temperature throughout the frying process.

6. Drop a single pappadum into the oil. Use some tongs to pick it up and turn it over.

7. When both sides are fried to a golden yellow colour, remove the pappad from the oil.

8. Notice from the video that the whole thing is done relatively quickly. Don't let it sit around in the oil for too long.

9. Once you've taken the fried pappadum out of the oil, you might want to gently tap it against the side of the vessel, to remove any excess oil. Watch how this is done in the video.

10. Place the fried pappadum straight onto some kitchen paper towel.

11. Ready. To. Serve!

Usual precautions apply: hot oil, hot temperatures, don't touch it, don't break the pappadum when you're tapping it, don't try to fish broken pappadum out with your fingers in a panic, etc. etc.

Love

Truffle

More photos from the Supperclub Summit

I mentioned in my last post (on Maltby Street Market at the Supperclub Summit) that I'd been gigging at some of the other wonderful supperclubs that were part of the series. I asked some of the chefs for photos from those nights, because the food looked simply spectacular, and I wanted to show you what guests were enjoying while yours truly was singing. The audiences at each of these dinners were really wonderful to me - there were so many smiles of appreciation and encouragement, and the positive energy was just ricocheting around the room. I loved it.

Here are the photos of dishes and scenes from those days. Thanks to Fabio of the Backdoor Kitchen for providing photos of their dishes and to Wen of Edible Experiences for providing the rest.

Grigliata "Pollock", inspired by Jackson

The Backdoor Kitchen

Burrata

The Backdoor Kitchen

Tiramisu

The Backdoor Kitchen

Rob and Fabio

The Backdoor Kitchen

Poached chicken with ginger and spring onion sauce

Two Hungry Girls

Chili Crab

Wild Serai

Pork buns

Mama Lan

Come and get 'em! Pork bun distribution

Bamboo boat of desserts

Two Hungry Girls, Wild Serai and Mama Lan

Shu, Chef at Two Hungry Girls, and Goz, Chef of Plusixfive

As I said, I loved playing at these gigs. It was a hugely uplifting experience, and I'll never forget it.  Whenever I do a gig that includes covers, or when I'm busking out somewhere in London, there's one song that unfailingly gets the biggest smiles, the most number of people stopping to listen, and the most love. This is it.

A blues song that never needs an introduction

Love

Truffle