Food Encyclopedia

pappadam

A wafer-thin East Indian bread made with lentil flour. This tortillalike bread can be unseasoned (as preferred in southern India) or variously flavored with red or black pepper, garlic or other seasonings, as in northern India. Pappadams are available in Indian markets in various sizes and flavors. Deep-fried pappadams puff up to almost double their original size. Grilling them over an open flame will give them a smoky flavor.