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How Is Papad Made? The Traditional Sun-Drying Process Explained

A step-by-step look at how R.A.M. Papad manufactures papad, mirgunda, kurdai and fryums — from raw material sourcing to sun-dried, dispatch-ready product.

In short: Papad is made by mixing a base ingredient — rice, sago (sabudana), millet or a similar flour — into a dough, shaping it into thin discs or strips, and drying it, traditionally under open sun on elevated mesh racks rather than in a mechanical dryer. At R.A.M. Papad the process runs through five stages: raw material sourcing and inspection, HACCP-protocol quality testing, hygienic stainless-steel processing, elevated-mesh sun-drying, and food-grade packing and dispatch. Sun-drying — not machine drying — is the step that gives papad its characteristic texture and supports a 9-18 month shelf life.

The Five-Stage Manufacturing Process

R.A.M. Papad manufactures papad, mirgunda, kurdai and fryums using the same five-stage process across its full product range. Each stage exists to protect one thing: the authentic taste and texture of a traditionally made snack, produced at a consistent, food-safe standard for bulk B2B orders.

1. Raw Material Sourcing

Every batch starts with ingredients bought from certified suppliers — rice, sago (sabudana), finger millet (nachani/ragi), wheat, semolina (rava) and vegetable/spice inputs such as spinach, tomato, beetroot and chilli, depending on the SKU. Incoming material is inspected batch by batch before it enters production, because the quality and consistency of the base ingredient directly determines the taste, colour and texture of the finished papad, mirgunda, kurdai or fryum.

2. Quality Testing (HACCP Protocol)

Before processing begins, material is tested under HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) protocols — a structured food-safety approach that identifies the specific points in production where contamination or quality failure could occur, and checks each one. In practice this covers moisture content (too much moisture in raw material or intermediate product increases spoilage and mould risk later in storage), purity (checking for adulteration or inconsistent composition), and contamination (screening for foreign matter or unwanted material). This step is what allows a batch to move forward into processing with a documented quality baseline.

3. Processing on Stainless-Steel Machinery

Approved material is mixed, kneaded and shaped using hygienic stainless-steel machinery inside dedicated production rooms. Stainless steel is used because it is non-porous, corrosion-resistant and easy to clean and sanitise between batches — properties that matter when the same equipment is used to run different SKUs and flavour variants through a food-grade production line every day.

4. Traditional Sun-Drying

Shaped papad, mirgunda, kurdai and fryums are laid out on elevated mesh racks and dried under open sun, rather than in a machine or artificial dryer. This is the step that most distinguishes traditionally made papad from a purely industrial process. Gradual, even moisture loss under natural sun and air-flow is what gives sun-dried papad its characteristic snap and fold-and-crack texture once fried or roasted, and it supports the longer shelf life — 9 to 18 months depending on the product and packaging — that R.A.M. Papad's range is built around. Elevating the product on mesh racks (rather than drying it flat on the ground) also keeps it clear of surface contact and allows air to circulate on both sides for a more even dry.

5. Packing & Dispatch

Once dried, product is packed in food-grade packaging with batch coding and a weight check on every pack, then palletised for dispatch. Packaging plays a direct role in shelf life: moisture-proof packing protects the sun-dried product from re-absorbing humidity in transit or storage, which is why export-grade packaging sits at the upper end of the 9-18 month shelf-life range. Standard pack sizes across the range run 200g, 500g, 1kg and 5kg, with 10kg bulk packs on select SKUs.

Where This Fits Into R.A.M. Papad's Product Range

This same five-stage process is used across all of R.A.M. Papad's product lines. To see how the finished, sun-dried product is sold and packed, browse the full papad range (11 SKUs), or read how papad, mirgunda, kurdai and fryums differ from each other. For a wider look at daily capacity and facility standards, see the R.A.M. Papad home page.

Sourcing papad in bulk? Standard MOQ is 50 kg per SKU, factory-direct from Roha, Maharashtra.
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FAQs

Papad Manufacturing Questions

Depending on the SKU: poha/rice, sago (sabudana) with potato, finger millet (nachani/ragi), plus flavour variants like spinach (palak), tomato, beetroot and red chilli. The full range covers 11 papad SKUs — see the Papad Range page for the complete list.
Traditional elevated-mesh sun-drying removes moisture gradually and evenly, which is what gives papad its characteristic texture and supports a longer shelf life (9-18 months depending on product and packaging). It is a slower process than mechanical drying, but it is the method R.A.M. Papad uses across its range for authentic texture and shelf stability.
No. Papad is supplied as a raw, dried product. It needs to be deep-fried or dry-roasted before eating. R.A.M. Papad manufactures and packs the dried product for distributors, retailers, exporters and foodservice buyers, who prepare it or pass it on for preparation.
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