Ingredients

Method

Mix the Gram flour, crushed pepper, Jeera powder and salt in a large bowl
Add the garlic and mix well.   Add sufficient water and mix and knead into a dough.   The dough should be firm and dry.   If the dough is too dry then keep adding a little more water until it gets to the correct consistency.  Knead the dough funtil the dough is smooth

Roll the dough into a roll,  and cut the dough into 12 equal sized slices
Brush a small amount of oil onto the end of a slice (this is the top) and roll out into a very thin circle of about 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) - the papad should be very thin - just ease the papad off the rolling pin if it sticks.   Put a light sprinkling of red chilly powder  on the papad.   

Repeat the above process with each of the dough slices.

Carefully put the papads  onto large baking sheets.  Preheat the oven to 150C (300F).   Bake the papads for 15 to 25 minutes until crisp and dry (keep checking them every couple of minutes after 15 minutes).

Remove the baked papads from the oven and leave to cool.   Store in an airtight container until they are needed.  

Traditionally, papads are dried in hot sunlight, on clean cloth, on the terraces of the houses, till they are dry and then packed in containers.

To Fry a Papad:

Heat a little oil in a large flat frying pan, or skillet, until the oil is hot but not smoking.    If the oil is not hot, the papad will soak the oil.   Learn from experience.  Put a papad into the pan  and turn it over when it begins to curl at the edges.    Fry on both sides.    You can also roast a papad  on live flame o the stove, if you want to avoid the oily feeling.

Remove the papad before it gets burnt and put it onto kitchen paper -towel to drain.    Cook the required amount of papads and serve immediately

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