Is your Onam pappadam healthy? Here's what you should know

Kollam: It would be hard to imagine a traditional Onam sadya without the crunchy pappadam. They add texture to the squishy balls of rice and can be enjoyed with both sweet and savoury dishes. However, fake papadums that give the original a run for its money have entered the market. Pappadams are traditionally made using papadum flour, salt and water. But, ever since the price of urad dal, the main ingredient in the papadum flour, crossed Rs 140 per kg, many pappadam makers add all-purpose flour that costs just Rs 40 per kg to make it. Interestingly, both varieties of pappadams look the same; you would have to be an expert to recognize the slight differences in taste though.

Why is maida pappadam unhealthy?
Pappadams made with all-purpose flour could cause health issues. 100 grams of urad dal contains around 18 – 25 percent protein which is way more than what you get from 100 grams of eggs or milk. Around 250 – 300 pieces of pappadams could be made using 1 kg urad dal. A cleansing agent called ‘alakku kaaram(washing soda)’ in local parlance is used in fake pappadams and this could lead to severe health problems.

Exposing fake pappadam makers
The fake pappadam manufacturers would soon be exposed by the Kerala Pappadam Manufacturers Association (KEPMA) by launching a named Mudra. The association’s state secretary Vineeth Prarath announced that the Mudra application would be available for download in the Play Store, within two weeks. Many old pappadam shops have disappeared due to the fake and machine-made pappadam. Moreover, the traditional pappadam makers do not earn enough profit to meet the rising expenses of the raw materials. The consumers could check the quality of the papadum as well as the license of the manufacturer, and details about the product and ingredients through the Mudra app. If you think the pappadam is fake or lacks quality, then you could also file a complaint with the concerned authorities.