In short: Papad, mirgunda, kurdai and fryums are all traditional Indian sun-dried snacks made from similar base ingredients — rice, sago/sabudana, millet or wheat — but they differ in shape, thickness and how they're prepared. Papad is thin and rolled flat into a round disc; mirgunda is a small rounded or coiled shape; kurdai is a thicker rolled snack; and fryums are ready-to-fry sticks or shaped pieces. All four are sold dry and are deep-fried or roasted just before eating — none are eaten raw.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category |
Shape / Form |
Thickness |
Typical Base |
Preparation |
Product Page |
| Papad |
Thin, flat, rolled round disc |
Thinnest of the four |
Rice/poha, sago-potato, ragi/nachani, plus spinach/tomato/beetroot/chilli variants |
Deep-fried or roasted |
Papad Range (11 SKUs) → |
| Mirgunda |
Small rounded / coiled shape |
Thin to medium |
Rice/poha, sago-potato, ragi, palak |
Deep-fried |
Mirgunda Range (6 SKUs) → |
| Kurdai |
Thicker rolled snack |
Thicker than papad/mirgunda |
Rice, wheat (gahu), semolina (rava), ragi |
Deep-fried |
Kurdai Range (4 SKUs) → |
| Fryums & Snacks |
Ready-to-fry sticks / shaped pieces |
Variable, stick-form |
Sago-potato (sticks); tamarind-based (Emali/Chinchgola) |
Deep-fried |
Fryums & Snacks → |
Why the Confusion? They Share the Same Roots
All four categories are made using the same core method — a dough shaped thin, then traditionally sun-dried rather than machine-dried, so they can be stored for months and cooked on demand. The overlap in base ingredients (rice, sago/sabudana, millet, wheat) is exactly why the names get used loosely across regions in India. The reliable way to tell them apart is shape and thickness, not ingredient list: papad is the thinnest and flattest, mirgunda is small and rounded, kurdai is the thickest rolled shape, and fryums are stick or piece-shaped rather than disc-shaped. For more on how the sun-drying step itself works, see how papad is made.
Not sure which category fits your order? Our B2B team can help you pick the right SKUs across all four ranges.
Get Bulk Quote →