A round spicy flatbread, easy to prepare and considered healthy at the same time is papad. It is enjoyed by everybody from the northern tip of Kashmir to the southern tip of Kanyakumari. It is known by different names in different regions of the nation but the obsession for it remains the same. It is known as 'Papad' in north India, 'Appalam' in Tamil Nadu, 'Papadum in Kerela, 'Appadam' in Andhra Pradesh, 'Happala' in Karnatka and 'Poppadum' in the UK and rest of the world.
The ingredients and recipes of papads vary from region to region, but major ingredients for preparing papads are black gram flour, rice flour, and lentil flour
mixed well with local spices, salt, and oil. Then the prepared dough is converted into thin circular sheets similar to Mexican tortillas, the last step is to reduce the moisture content by drying them in the direct sunlight which makes them thinner and crispier. Now our papads are ready to be deep fried or cooked directly over the flame.
Serving and
eating Papad:
In general
there is no specific time to eat papad, but mostly it is served as a side dish
with the meal (mostly with dinner). It can also be consumed with the evening tea or
can we be served with a mixture of finely chopped onions, tomatoes, chilies, sev and chopped coriander leaves mixed thoroughly with salt, lemon juice, and red chilly powder. In Indian restaurants, mostly papads are served as appetisers with few dips like raita, pickles and chutneys.
Brief
History:
There is no specific date when and where it was first prepared or eaten. In the olden days, papads weren't sold in the market like today, they were prepared at home by the ladies.
There have been few stories of how huge companies were established just by preparing and selling papads. In 1915, Mr. KA Velayudham took over his
father’s business in Chennai of papad making and named it 'Ambika Appalams'. Initially, Mr. Velayudham used to deliver papads in bundles wrapped with banana and lotus flower from door to
door by bicycle and on foot. Slowly he expanded his business and after more
than 100 years this brand became so huge that today they are exporting papads
and other food products all over the world.
Similar story Lijjad Papad also has or I should say Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad. This brand was the brainchild of seven women
from Gujarat who were seeking to start a business venture to create a
sustainable livelihood by using their skills. In 1959, they started this
business and within three months their team grew to 25 women who produced
papads by hand. Today this organization employs more than 43,000 women, has a turnover of more than INR 800 crores in 2018, and has
81 branches and 27 divisions all over India.
Now:
This round flat snack is a must food
item for many Indian kitchens these days. In most of the Indian homes, dinner
is incomplete till the time papad is not served as a side dish. It doesn’t matter which part of
the country you live in, but papad is everybody's favorite snack.
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