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Papad is a crunchy and deep-fried snack that can be considered a close relative of wafers in terms of texture. In India, people like to have papads along with their meals or with evening tea. Some people also like to make a proper main course sabzi with the help of papad. Rajasthan's papad ki sabzi is one such example. There are multiple stories related to the invention of papad. One story says that papad was first made in the Indus Valley civilisation more than 500 years ago.
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People used to make flatbread using lentil flour, and then it was deep-fried before being eaten. There is another story that says the papad was invented by Buddhist and Jain people using flour made from urad dal, masoor dal, and chana dal. Currently, multiple varieties of papad are made in India. In this article, one can find some of the most famous varieties of these Indian deep-fried snacks.
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* Elai Vadam
Elai Vadam, or rice papad, is extremely popular in the Southern part of India, and no South Indian meal is complete without rice papad. Even to this date, most South Indian people like preparing these papads at home. It is prepared by making rice flour and salt. The flour is then mixed with a lot of other spices like cumin seeds and hing. The papad is generally eaten with rasam rice, dal rice, and different types of other South Indian dishes.
* Nachni Papad
Nachni papad is also called ragi papad and is a very famous papad variety in Maharashtra. It has a brown colour and a coarse texture. This papad is generally considered healthy because it's made from ragi, which is a healthy flour. The use of ragi gives it a different colour, taste and texture. The papad is usually very crispy and can be a great addition to different types of chats because of its crunchiness.
* Kali Mirch Papad
Kali Mirch papad is not just popular in India but also in Middle Eastern countries. It is not just served with meals but is also a very popular snack on its own because it has a very rich flavour of black pepper. This is one of the most commonly available papads that a lot of people must have tried. There are different ways in which one can consume this snack. It can be paired with main course meals or eaten as a snack with a nice beverage.
* Garlic Papad
Anything that has garlic in it has a very pungent aroma and also a distinctive taste. People generally either love it or cannot stand it. Garlic papad is for all the garlic out there who love the taste of garlic and want to eat something crunchy that has its flavour. This papad is made using lentil flour and mixed with some garlic powder. The bold and robust flavours of garlic make this papad, unlike anything one has ever had.
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* Sabudana Papad
Sabudana papad is one of the most popular varieties of papad that is extensively consumed during Navratri. The interesting aspect about these papads is the fact that they are not made by using any kind of spices. But even then, they have a very nice natural flavour and texture. Every bite of this papad is addictive, and one can not have enough of it. These papads are available ready-made in the market, and one has to simply deep fry or air fry them.
* Aloo Papad
Aloo papad can be called the Indian version of chips. These papads are made by taking some mashed and boiled potatoes and mixing some salt, hing and cumin seed powder inside the mixture. Some people like to add a bit of all-purpose flour that acts as a binding ingredient. Now, small pieces of papad are rolled out of the mixture and deep-fried to make crunchy snacks. These are not only delicious but extremely filling as well.
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* Hing Papad
Hing papad is also a very popular variety of papad that is generally sold by a lot of street vendors. Hing, which is the main flavouring ingredient in the papad acts as the perfect accompaniment for soulful Indian dishes like dal and rice. It is extremely popular on the western coast of India and is generally consumed with a lot of different types of meals. This is a must-try for people who love the flavour of things in food.
