Papadums are typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India, In certain parts of India, papadums which have been dried but not cooked are used in curries and vegetable dishes. Pappad is called as Appalam in tamilnadu,pappadum in kerala and pappad in most of the country Pappad is mainly manufactured in south tamilnadu and kerala.

Papad can be prepared from different ingredients and methods. Arguably, the most popular recipe uses urad dal or black gram. Black gram flour is mixed with black pepper and salt, and the mixture is kneaded together. A well-kneaded mixture is then flattened into thin rounds and kept for sun-drying. Once dried, papad can be stored for later consumption. Papad may also contain rice, jackfruit, sabudana, etc., as main ingredients. Cracked black pepper, red chilli powder, asafoetida, or cumin or sesame seeds are often used as flavouring agents.