Papadam

Papadam is derived from the Sanskrit word parpaṭa (पर्पट), meaning a flattened disc.[1] Papadams are known by several names in the various languages of India, e.g. appalam in Tamil; happala in Kannada; papadam (පපඩම්) in Sinhala; pappadam in Malayalam; appadam in Telugu; papad in Marathi,[2] Punjabi and Gujarati; and pampada in Odia.

Jackfruit papadam from Bengaluru

Different types of papadams are sold at stores.

Papadam recipes vary from region to region and from family to family. They are typically made from a flour or paste derived from lentils, chickpeas, black gram, rice, or potatoes.

Salt and peanut oil are added to make a dough, which can be flavored with seasonings such as chili, cumin, garlic, or black pepper. Sometimes, baking soda or slaked lime or also added. The dough is shaped into a thin, round flatbreads, dried, (traditionally in the sun), and can be cooked by deep frying, roasting over an open flame, toasting, or microwaving, depending on the desired texture.

Bikaner is the hub of chickpea and green gram papadam manufacturing. Potato papadam is made in Varanasi. Most sweet- and snack-selling national companies are also involved in this business. In the north, papads made in the city of Amritsar and its surrounds (Amritsari Papar Warian) are especially famous. The Lijjat Papad company (Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad), headquartered in Mumbai, is a major manufacturer, and is often cited as an exemplar of the women's empowerment movement in India, as it is run entirely by women.

Papadams with chutney are often served as an appetizer at Indian restaurants around the world.

In most Indian restaurants around the world, they are served as an appetizer with dips, which often include mango chutney, lime pickle, onion chutney, and raita. Masala papar with sev, onion, tomato and coriander leaves is one of India's most popular appetizers.

Papadam can be prepared from different ingredients and methods. Arguably, the most popular recipe uses flour ground from hulled split black gram[3] mixed with black pepper, salt, and a small amount of vegetable oil and a food-grade alkali, and the mixture is kneaded. A well-kneaded dough is then flattened into very thin rounds and then dried and stored for later preparation and consumption. It may also contain rice, jackfruit, sago, etc., as main ingredients. Cracked black pepper, red chili powder, Asafoetida, or cumin or sesame seeds are often used as flavoring agents. Papar (also called Happala in South India) is also made from rice flakes, ragi or horsegram.[4]

Some divergence of transliteration may be noted in the third consonant in the Hindi/Urdu word pāpaṛ. The sound is the retroflex flap [ɽ], which is written in Hindi with the Devanagari letter ड़, and in Urdu script with the Perso-Arabic letter ڑ. Although in ISO 15919 the Hindi letter ड़ is transliterated as <ṛ>, popular or nonstandard transliterations of Hindi use <d> for this sound. The occurrence of this consonant in the word pāpaṛ has given rise to two alternative spellings in English: papar (anglicized as "popper"), which reflects its phonology, and papad, which reflects its etymology.

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  Kerala Pappadam
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  A stack of roasted papadams, ready to be served
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  Rice papadam
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  Uradal papadam
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  Toasted papadam served with dal and rice
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  Fire-toasting papadam
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  Masala papar
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  Raw jackfruit papad in coastal Karnataka

• Indian bread – Wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine
• Sandige – Fried snack, originating from the Indian subcontinent

• Media related to Papadams at Wikimedia Commons