Papadam
 | |
| Alternative names | Papad, Happala, Poppadam |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | southern India |
| Main ingredients | Lentil, Chickpea, black gram, rice flour. |
| Variations | Rice papapum |
Papadum, often shortened to paapad (see below), is a thin crispy Indian wafer sometimes described as a cracker or flatbread. They are typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India and Pakistan. 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 condiments.
In certain parts of India, raw papadums (dried but unroasted) are used in curries and vegetable preparations. Papadums are made in different sizes. Smaller ones can be eaten like a snack chip and the larger ones can be used to make wraps.
Regions
An important part of South Asian cuisine, recipes vary from region to region and family to family, but typically it is made from lentil, chickpea, black gram or rice flour.
In North India, the lentil variety is more popular and is usually called 'papad'.
Salt and coconut oil are added to make a dough, which can be flavored with seasonings such as chili, cumin, garlic or black pepper. Sometimes baking soda is also added. The dough is shaped into a thin, round flat bread 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 chutneys.
Business
Papad is often associated with the empowerment of women 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 solely run by women that produces large quantities of papadums on the open market. It started as a tiny, failing business in the late 1950s[1][2], and now has an annual income of over Rs. 3.15 billion, or just under $80 million US dollars.[3]
Etymology
Papadum is a loan word from Tamil pappaṭām.[4] Appadam is the word for papad in Telugu. In the Kannada language, a papad is referred to as a "happala," and is often made with black gram, jackfruit, and sabudana. The word papad occurs in a Hindi tongue twister - "Kachaa paapad, Pakaa paapad" (raw papad, fried/roasted papad), something similar to "Good blood, Bad blood".
| Alternative names for papad | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| papad | pappad | pappard | pappadom |
| pappadum | popadam | pompadum | poppadam |
| poppadom | appadum | appalum | appala |
| appoll | papari | pamporo | |
Gallery
-
A stack of roasted papadums, ready to be served. -
Rice Papadum
-
Deep fried papad at an Expo in Guntur. -
References
- ^ Malathi Ramanathan. "Grassroots Developments in Women's Empowerment in India: Case Study of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad (1959–2000)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-01-15.
- ^ "organization - The Beginning". Lijjat. Retrieved 2006-02-04.
- ^ Surekha Kadapa-Bose (2005-04-01). "Their kitchen radiates energy". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
- ^ "poppadom, n." OED Online. December 2006. Oxford University Press. <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50184072>.
External links
