Papadum
Encyclopedia
Papadum, also known as papad in Northern India, , pappadam (പപ്പടം) in Malayalam, happala in Kannada, appalam in Tamil
, appadum (అప్పడం) in Telugu
, pappadum or poppadom in the UK, is a thin, crisp Indian preparation sometimes described as a cracker
. It is typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India
. It is also eaten as an appetizer or a snack
and can be eaten with various toppings such as chopped onions, chutney
or other dips and condiment
s. In some parts of India, it is served as the final item in a meal.
In certain parts of India, raw papadums (dried but unroasted) are used in curries and vegetable preparations.
பப்படம் . Both Tamil pappaṭam and Hindi-Urdu
पापड़ پاپڑ pāpaṛ are derived from the Sanskrit
word पर्पट parpaṭa, which is the name of a medicinal plant, and is also defined as 'a kind of thin cake made of rice or pease-meal and baked in grease' or 'a thin crisp cake'.
Appadam is the word for papad in Telugu
. In the Tulu language
, spoken in coastal Karnataka
, it is called appala. In the Kannada language
, a papad is referred to as a happala, and is often made with black gram
, jackfruit
, and tapioca
.
, recipes vary from region to region and family to family. They are typically made from flour or paste derived from either lentil
, chickpea
, black gram (urid flour)
, rice
, or potato
.
In North India, the lentil variety is more popular and is usually called 'papad'.
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 is also added. The dough is shaped into a thin, round flatbread
and then 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.
In most curry houses in the United Kingdom
and Australia
, they are served as a starter alongside various dips and usually mango chutney
.
Bureau of Indian Standards reference for Papadum (Pappad / Appalam)- IS 2639 : 1984 (Specification for Papad) amended in 1999 & reaffirmed in 2010.
in India
. Many individual and organized businesses run by women produce papad, pickles, and other snacks. This provides them regular income from minimal financial investments. Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad
is an organization owned and run solely by women that produces large quantities of papadums on the open market which started as a small business in the late 1950s, and now has an annual income of over Rs.
3.15 billion, or just under $80 million US dollars.
letter ड़, and in Urdu script
with the Perso-Arabic letter ڑ. Although in IAST the Hindi letter ड़ is transliterated as <ṛ
>, popular or nonstandard transliterations of Hindi use for this sound, because etymologically it derives from ड ɖ. The occurrence of this consonant in the word pāpaṛ has given rise to two alternative spellings in English: papad, which reflects its etymology, and papar (anglicized as "popper"), which reflects its phonology.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, appadum (అప్పడం) in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, pappadum or poppadom in the UK, is a thin, crisp Indian preparation sometimes described as a cracker
Cracker (food)
A cracker is a baked good commonly made from grain flour dough and typically made in quantity in various hand-sized or smaller shapes. Flavorings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, and/or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking...
. It is typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is also eaten as an appetizer or a snack
Snack
A snack is a small portion of food eaten between meals. The food might be snack food—items like potato chips or baby carrots—but could also simply be a smaller amount of any food item.-Snacks and health:...
and can be eaten with various toppings such as chopped onions, chutney
Chutney
Chutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several...
or other dips and condiment
Condiment
A condiment is an edible substance, such as sauce or seasoning, added to food to impart a particular flavor, enhance its flavor, or in some cultures, to complement the dish. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving sachets , like mustard or ketchup, particularly when supplied with...
s. In some parts of India, it is served as the final item in a meal.
In certain parts of India, raw papadums (dried but unroasted) are used in curries and vegetable preparations.
Etymology
Papadum is a loanword from Malayalam പപ്പടം or TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
பப்படம் . Both Tamil pappaṭam and Hindi-Urdu
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
पापड़ پاپڑ pāpaṛ are derived from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word पर्पट parpaṭa, which is the name of a medicinal plant, and is also defined as 'a kind of thin cake made of rice or pease-meal and baked in grease' or 'a thin crisp cake'.
Appadam is the word for papad in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
. In the Tulu language
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
, spoken in coastal Karnataka
Kanara
The Kanara or Canara region comprises three coastal districts of Karnataka, namely Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada and Kasaragod district of Kerala in southwestern India. Kanara forms the southern part of the Konkan coast...
, it is called appala. In the Kannada language
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
, a papad is referred to as a happala, and is often made with black gram
Urad (bean)
Vigna mungo, known as urad, urad dal, udad dal, urd bean, urd, urid, black matpe bean, black gram, black lentil [not to be confused with the much smaller true black lentil ], maas , đậu đen or white lentil, is a bean grown in southern Asia...
, jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
, and tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
.
| Alternative names for papadum | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| pāpaṛ | pappad | papparde | pappadom |
| pappadum | popadam | pompadum | poppadam |
| poppadom | appadum | appalum | appala |
| appoll | papari | pamporo | puppodum |
| pampad | happala | pappadum |
Regions
As papadums are an important part of South Asian cuisineSouth Asian cuisine
South Asian cuisine, also known as Desi cuisine, includes the cuisines from the Indian subcontinent. It has roots in South Asia, including practices taken from the Hindu beliefs practiced by the large population found in the region, alongside influences from neighbouring regions and cultures,...
, recipes vary from region to region and family to family. They are typically made from flour or paste derived from either lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
, chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
, black gram (urid flour)
Urad (bean)
Vigna mungo, known as urad, urad dal, udad dal, urd bean, urd, urid, black matpe bean, black gram, black lentil [not to be confused with the much smaller true black lentil ], maas , đậu đen or white lentil, is a bean grown in southern Asia...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, or potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
.
In North India, the lentil variety is more popular and is usually called 'papad'.
Salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and peanut oil
Peanut oil
Peanut oil is an organic material oil derived from peanuts, noted to have the aroma and taste of its parent legume....
are added to make a dough
Dough
Dough is a paste made out of any cereals or leguminous crops by mixing flour with a small amount of water and/or other liquid. This process is a precursor to making a wide variety of foodstuffs, particularly breads and bread-based items , flatbreads, noodles, pastry, and similar items)...
, which can be flavored with seasonings such as chili, cumin
Cumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
or black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
. Sometimes baking soda or Slaked Lime is also added. The dough is shaped into a thin, round flatbread
Flatbread
A flatbread is a simple bread made with flour, water, and salt and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened: made without yeast or sourdough culture: although some flatbread is made with yeast, such as pita bread....
and then dried (traditionally in the sun), and can be cooked by deep frying
Deep frying
Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used....
, roasting over an open flame
Flame
A flame is the visible , gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic reaction taking place in a thin zone...
, toasting, or microwaving, depending on the desired texture.
In most curry houses in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, they are served as a starter alongside various dips and usually mango chutney
Chutney
Chutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several...
.
Bureau of Indian Standards reference for Papadum (Pappad / Appalam)- IS 2639 : 1984 (Specification for Papad) amended in 1999 & reaffirmed in 2010.
Business
Papad is often associated with the empowerment of womenFeminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
in India
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
. Many individual and organized businesses run by women produce papad, pickles, and other snacks. This provides them regular income from minimal financial investments. Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad
Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad
Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, popularly known as Lijjat, is an Indian women's cooperative involved in manufacturing of various fast moving consumer goods. The organization's main objective is empowerment of women by providing them employment opportunities. Started in the year 1959 with a...
is an organization owned and run solely by women that produces large quantities of papadums on the open market which started as a small business in the late 1950s, and now has an annual income of over Rs.
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
3.15 billion, or just under $80 million US dollars.
Spelling
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 DevanagariDevanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
letter ड़, and in Urdu script
Urdu alphabet
The Urdu alphabet is the right-to-left alphabet used for the Urdu language. It is a modification of the Persian alphabet, which is itself a derivative of the Arabic alphabet...
with the Perso-Arabic letter ڑ. Although in IAST the Hindi letter ड़ is transliterated as <ṛ
R
R is the eighteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.-History:The original Semitic letter may have been inspired by an Egyptian hieroglyph for tp, "head". It was used for by Semites because in their language, the word for "head" was rêš . It developed into Greek Ρ and Latin R...
>, popular or nonstandard transliterations of Hindi use