Homemade Aam Papad | Mango Fruit Leather

Some Foods Are Special!! Just a looks at it may make you drool.

Aam papad is one among such food which can make you drool drool and drool..... Drooling Ramadan Kareem To All My Muslim Readers

People In Gulf finished with their 1st fasting and People Of India and Pakistan shall start from tomorrow. For many of us it is 1st time that we will start our Ramadan during summer and yes weather is playing a wonderful role with long hours of fasting in places like Gulf especially where temperature is always at peak. My friend who spoke to me have already discussed how much tiring the day had been for them, May Allah ease their fasting and accept our Ibadah, AMEEN

Getting back to post:

I recall buying aam papad from andhra vijaywada when ever we used to travel from chennai to orrisa / vice versa. Its all so yummy and we cannot ignore buying those packets of aam papad. It came as blocks inside the cling wrap costing 45-50 rs for 500gms. But now when we travel we do not find this often.

My Grandma used to try out her own recipe to make aam papad but we kids never liked or appreciated her moves. Now that she is old we realize her love towards cooking and feeding us. We search for authentic recipes online to make something, but she used to make anything by just tasting it. Im more like my nani, I like to make my own possible food for myself and my family rather getting it from outside. 

Recently when my mom brought mangoes my bro asked me to make aam papad's I tot of giving it a try and the result was awesome!!! So here is the simple recipe Im going to share with u all today

Ingredients:

Mango Pulp out of 5-6 mangoes - 1liter puree

Sugar - 8-10 tablespoon (adjust more or less according to sweetness of mangoes)

Lemon Juice - 1-2 tsp

Method:

-In a pan take mango puree, sugar and lime juice, cook it for 5-10 mins till its all well combined and cooked nicely in medium flame. Allow it to warm down.

- Prepare some thalis/ plate to set the aam papad by greasing it with 1/2 tsp ghee each.

- Now pour the warm mango mixture into greased plates / trays just enough to spread the whole area. Do not pour more than needed.

May be 2-3 ladle each plate. If you are using a big tray then pour in more ladles. Tap the plate so that it all gets set and distributed evenly. Allow it to set!! This may take 2-3 days!!

- Once it sets, take pleasure to run knife over the set aam papad and try lifting from the edge part, you can see how nicely these aam papad's come out with ease.

Different ways of rolling aam papad

- You can roll the whole aam papad in the plate itself and cut it using knife (right side pic above)

- If its big tray then run knife make equal cuts and roll it. (pics below)

- Remove each slit and roll it over your palm.

What ever your feel convenient with!!

Serve it immediately or store it in air tight container / box it will remain gud for a month or 2, but who can resist keeping such yummy snacks for 1 or 2 months also? 

Notes:
- Use any ripe mango which is sweet enough!! Many people recommend to use totapuri mango, but I tried with baiganpalli.
- Using Lemon Juice Is optional but its gives good balanced taste to these goodies
- Adjust sugar according to ur taste and sweetness of mangoes
- If you want to store these for longer period of time you can keep it inside fridge, but it will not be dry when u take out, you may find it has become sticky but the shape and taste will retain!!
- There will be no taste of ghee!! even less than 1/2tsp of ghee for greasing thali will be enough!!!

- Everyone recommends to dry this in direct sun, but I really dint had a heart to keep it outside for sun drying due to various reasons like, dust, dirt pollution all flying in the air, specially in place like Chennai I cannot risk!! since this will be in puree form while drying chances are dust or any kind of dirt may get in and u cannot really take it out, unless and until u have a net kind of material to cover on top of the plates which will not touch the surface of mango puree!! 
So I just dried it indoors inside my room where there was no dust or dirt flying around with or without fan is ok!!! It will take 2 days minimum and 3 days maximum that's it! But the result u will get will be awesome!!!   

When do you know that aam papad's are really done?
When we keep the mango puree for drying whole of ur house will fill in with fragrance of mango mango, it will be like living upon mangoes  Once the papad's are done and well dried you can see the change in color as well as no fragrance of mangoes around u. You are now pretty much sure to peel it off the plate

Will aam papad's break while peeling it off?
No no and no, it will not break or chip out if you had greased your thali, once it is dried it will come off all easily and smoothly, you can see the above pics as proof.
If in case you had thicken the layer of mango puree into plates, even that will peel off well, but sometimes it might break while rolling (not necessary). Thats ok if its thick!! it will not effect the end result!!

Difference between Drying aam papads in Sun and Shade???
I found a very remarkable difference between both!!
Pics updated here will show u the difference highly..... I have updated pics of 2 batches I made, out of which 1 batch was kept under sun for sometime, and another completely dried under shade.
- The ones kept under sun got dried out with rough surface and extra dried edges
- Ones kept in shade were dried and glossy as well, which gave a very smooth finish

My 1st try and everyone enjoyed it to the core!! My nani was all excited when she heard I made aam papad's I sent  a box full of these for her.

One box packed for my aunt (dad's sis) in Orrisa!! As I was arranging,  My bro kept saying it looks like big bullets 
My Nana asking me to make more of it, I feel like a professional now lolzz

If mangoes are still available at your place do try it with at least one mango, and check out the goodness it carries!!!

Do try and let us know how it turned out