Indian food is renowned for its incredible diversity, ranging from curries and biryanis to flavourful street snacks and desserts. In addition to the rich culinary heritage, the process behind the making of some dishes is also unique to the subcontinent. While some preparatory methods are celebrated, others have also raised concerns. Desi papads are a widely popular crispy snack. In a recent Instagram video showing its preparation, viewers were left disturbed by the unhygienic conditions seen during the manufacturing process. In the video shared on Instagram by digital creator @dabake_khao, a woman is seen preparing papads. She starts by mixing papad batter – typically made from lentil, chickpea, rice or potato flour, along with spices and salt – using her bare hands.
Then, the woman spreads this mixture thinly onto a hot skillet, creating a cloth-like texture as it dries. The video also showcases large papad sheets being bundled together and cut into circular shapes using steel bowls that are pressed down with their bare feet. They are later separated and dried in the sun before being packaged.
Take a look at the process here:
The video has sparked concern over hygiene due to the handling of ingredients with bare hands and feet, as well as the open-air drying process. Taking to the comments section, a user wrote, “Hygiene left the chat.” Another quipped, “Aunty be like: Hygiene what is that?”
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“They are hustling with the wrong tools and practices… Just needs some evolution,” read another comment.
Meanwhile, others are defending this practice, calling it better than “fast food.” A user wrote, “Still better than a lot of high-end fast food restaurants and street food stalls.” Another added, “At least this lady was careful enough not to step on the product.”
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