[Food] Poppadoms in an Indian restaurant / curry house

[The Clamp]

As I mentioned on the crisp thread I am NOT a sharer, so of course the same principal applies to papadums. I'll normally order myself 2, they will then reside on my side plate where I will consume them as my starter along with the moorish delights of the raw onion, lime pickle, mint sauce and mango chutney carousel (no dunking, as @The Clamp rightly states - this isn't a cuffing FONDUE is it).

Then me and the doris will usually split one curry between us. I just don't carry the appetite any more for a whole one to myself and neither does she, especially after the papadum starter and a few Cobras. We grew tired of taking doggy bags of the stuff home with us all the time. Waste of money.

I’m with you on the amount of curry ordered. One between two does us and maybe a side dish.

 

[Easy 10]

I’m with you on the amount of curry ordered. One between two does us and maybe a side dish.

Yep, its been a revelation. As I've got older I've become increasingly averse to that totally bloated feeling. Less is definitely more (and cheaper!). The same when we order a takeaway - one curry is enough, and as you say, maybe a couple of extra side dishes to pad it out a bit and get to the delivery price.

With the added benefit that the following morning, I don't feel like I am giving birth to a banister.

 

[The Clamp]

Yep, its been a revelation. As I've got older I've become increasingly averse to that totally bloated feeling. Less is definitely more (and cheaper!). The same when we order a takeaway - one curry is enough, and as you say, maybe a couple of extra side dishes to pad it out a bit and get to the delivery price.

With the added benefit that the following morning, I don't feel like I am giving birth to a banister.

 

[Papak]

We keep them in the middle and take one each as we want one. That goes on your side plate. That’s safe. That’s yours. Nobody is touching that.

We then use the teaspoons to put some pickle either directly on the popadom or onto our side plates. We do not dunk.

I’ve admonished a JCL at our table before for immediately smashing his big gammony fist into the pile the second they were put down and then proceeded to pick splinters of them up and double dunk into the pickles.

That’s not how we roll at our table. We have standards. We have systems. If the system breaks down, we break down.

He was not invited back.

You sound like my ideal curry mate - this is pretty much word for word my experience.

I don't transfer the condiments to my side plate, toppings go directly on with special consideration and care taken not to cross contaminate.

I tend to use the non-solid ones to act as an adhesive for the copious amounts of onion added next.

The poppadoms are an intrinsic part of the meal with a status at least equal to a starter (which I don't have but might go for something on the side and shared).

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Generally I try not to eat meals with people who have dirty stinking fingers...

It’s shocking how many gents do not wash their hands after visiting the Gents. I try to avoid using public toilets as the door handles have their own story to tell, but on the rare visit to one at the Amex my worst fears are realised.

 

[Blue3]

I’m with Smithy on this one ifI buy a curry and that definitely includes poppadoms it’s not for sharing

 

[Easy 10]

It’s shocking how many gents do not wash their hands after visiting the Gents. I try to avoid using public toilets as the door handles have their own story to tell, but on the rare visit to one at the Amex my worst fears are realised.

In fairness, if you're using one of the cubicles at the Amex (ie with a door handle), then 95% of the punters are only in there to do some charlie. Hence the queues.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

In fairness, if you're using one of the cubicles at the Amex (ie with a door handle), then 95% of the punters are only in there to do some charlie. Hence the queues.

Point taken, but my comment about door handles was referring to the germ handles that you need to use to get out AFTER washing your hands.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Actually have no idea what you are on about.

OP mentioned Indian restaurants.

Yes but the great majority of so called Indian restaurants are Bangladeshi owned and serve Bengali cuisine.

 

[Easy 10]

Yes but the great majority of so called Indian restaurants are Bangladeshi owned and serve Bengali cuisine.

Sauce ?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Decent Indian restaurant with a decent bunch of people and I would expect at least some offers of a spoonful taster of each other dishes that have been ordered. Typically someone who doesn't normally order a hot curry having a bit of sauce off a hotter dish to try it etc.

All this nothing of hogging your own dish and poppadoms like some resource guarding dog doesn't make for a fun night out in my experience.

 

[jcdenton08]

Decent Indian restaurant with a decent bunch of people and I would expect at least some offers of a spoonful taster of each other dishes that have been ordered. Typically someone who doesn't normally order a hot curry having a bit of sauce off a hotter dish to try it etc.

All this nothing of hogging your own dish and poppadoms like some resource guarding dog doesn't make for a fun night out in my experience.

I am funny about people touching my food I’m afraid. Crisps in the pub - fine. But I specifically order dishes I like and don’t order ones I don’t. If someone wanted to taste mine I’d begrudgingly ask for a fresh clean spoon and allow it, but what with COVID and all that, friends and partners would know not to ask.

 

[beorhthelm]

Sauce ?

masala

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Sauce ?

Dhansak for preference.

 

[Monkey Man]

I've noticed a bit of a trend to just the sweeter condiments with poppadoms – especially very sugary mango chutney. I wonder if people are just not eating the spicier ones and so they no longer bother even bringing them to the table? I like a good lime pickle or anything else with a bit of a kick but in some restaurants I'm definitely seeing less of it.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I'm a weirdo that prefers the poppadoms with the main meal and not at the start.

I maybe weirder, if we order a takeaway curry in our house I buy 2 poppadoms and eat them at least an hour after I’ve finished my meal, I don’t bother with starters.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I thought the standard was place them in the middle of the table, karate chop them in half, everyone helps themselves.

Standard practice for riff raff

 

[Randy McNob]

They are very moorish when you first sit down and you're starving. I'm like cookie monster

 

[BN9 BHA]

"share the curry"
Burn this heretic, burn him with fire.
If I go to a curry house and order a prawn madras, pilau rice and garlic naan, I expect my companions to similarly order what they want. I don't expect to have a bit of someone elses dinner and they're not having any of mine (a caveat to this is that I may, at my discretion, offer a piece of naan to my wife if she's been good)

Ok Smithy
Post in thread 'Crisps in the pub'
https://www.northstandchat.com/threads/crisps-in-the-pub.401907/post-10704959

 

[Bold Seagull]

I am funny about people touching my food I’m afraid. Crisps in the pub - fine. But I specifically order dishes I like and don’t order ones I don’t. If someone wanted to taste mine I’d begrudgingly ask for a fresh clean spoon and allow it, but what with COVID and all that, friends and partners would know not to ask.

Couldn't you just use your own spoon and tip it onto their plate?

Loads of different dishes and flavours to try in a good indian, I know what I like too, but sometimes someone orders something I haven't tasted before.