Papad
Also known as: papadum, appalam, パパド
What Papad is
Thin lentil-flour discs, rolled and sun-dried, cooked in seconds at the table — the crackle that closes a thali, and the crisp most people first meet as the end-of-meal plate at an Indian restaurant.
A crisp flatbread made from urad dal flour (or rice or sago flour, depending on tradition), salt and spices, rolled paper-thin and dried in the sun until brittle. South Indian appalam is the same idea in the urad tradition. India's best-known papad brand is produced by a women's cooperative founded in Mumbai — a factory-scale version of the home craft of rolling and drying papad on rooftops.
Taste and texture
Weightless and shatteringly crisp, tasting of toasted legume flour carrying the variety's seasoning — plain, cumin, black pepper or green chilli. Freshly cooked it snaps; stale or limp papad only bends.
Forms to buy
- Urad papad (standard) — The common black-gram disc; plain or spiced.
- Jeera / kali mirch varieties — Cumin- and black-pepper-seasoned; the most popular versions.
- Rice papad — Lighter and whiter; common in Kerala-style cooking.
How to cook it
Fry in hot oil for a few seconds a side — they blister and are done almost immediately — then drain upright. To avoid frying, hold one over an open flame with tongs, flipping, until it blisters; or dry-roast it in a pan pressed flat with a spatula; or microwave on high for 30–45 seconds, watching until it puffs. Serve with dal-rice, crush over chaat, or set out with achar at the end of a restaurant-style meal.
Buying note
Typically ¥300–¥600 for a pack of 25–50 discs. They keep for months in a dry box; discs that have gone limp can be crisped briefly in a low oven. Both Indian and Nepali grocers in Japan stock them.