Diwali is round the corner!! I’m sure most of you have the prepping work going on in full swing and some of you are on the look out for last minute recipes to surprise your beloved. Today, let us learn an Easy Ribbon Pakoda Recipe, which doesn’t require a lot of planning and can be done with ingredients readily available in your pantry.
Ribbon Pakoda is a popular south Indian tea time snack generally made during festival time. Aka nada murukku because of its resemblance to nada or string. The main ingredients are rice flour and gram flour. Various spices like chilli powder, asafoetida, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, hot oil and melted butter are added. From these ingredients a soft dough is prepared and this dough is passed through special equipment called “Murrukku Maker” . Passing the dough through a special mould is how we get these thin ribbon like pakodas.
The dough for Easy Ribbon Pakoda Recipe can be made two different methods. One is using the traditional method preparing homemade rice flour, where rice is soaked, dried and ground to a fine powder. The second one is to use the store bought idiyappam flour. This is a simpler method and produces equally good results.
Try this quick version of Easy Ribbon Pakoda Recipe and share your experience! Now, who wouldn’t crave for crispy, crunchy snacks?? It need not be prepared only for occasions, you can enjoy these crispy delights any time of the year with some hot tea.
Btw….For those who are wondering what Diwali is – Diwali or Deepavali is known as festival of lights and is usually around autumn every year. To know more about the festival, please click here and here. You can also have a glimpse of the various snacks and sweets prepared for this occasion.
let’s move on to the fun part….Off to Easy Ribbon Pakoda Recipe!!
Step-by Step process for Easy Ribbon Pakoda Recipe:
Have a quick look at the video…for detailed recipe, continue reading!!
Preparing the dough:
- Sieve together rice flour and gram flour(besan).
- To this add salt, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, melted butter and asafoetida powder.
NOTE: Do not add too much quantities of cumin and sesame seeds, as they will block the slits while pressing the dough through the mould. This way you will not get proper shape of the ribbons.
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Once it’s hot, take a tablespoon and add hot oil to the flour mixture. Mix with your fingertips till the oil incorporates well into the flours.
- Add water little by little and knead to a soft, but non-sticky dough.
NOTE: Very hard dough makes it difficult to press through the mould will cause the ribbons to break while it is pressed out through the pakoda press and with too much water in the dough, ribbon pakodas will absorb a lot of oil while frying.
- Prepare your ribbon pakoda press by choosing the right disc for it, the one with thin slits
- Grease the murrukku maker with oil and place the plate with in it and fill in the dough into murukku maker.
Deep frying Ribbon Pakoda:
- Once the oil is hot, add small a ball of dough into the oil to check if the oil is hot enough. If it immediately sizzles up, the oil is ready.
- Press thin strips of the dough from the murukku maker into the hot oil. While pressing out the dough, move your hand in a circular manner, so that the ribbons coming out will spread out and cook evenly. Just press in enough to cover the oil.
- When the oils stops bubbling, flip over the pakoda and fry on the other side. These ribbons cook and turn dark quickly, so adjust heat accordingly. .
- Once the sizzling sound stops and the ribbons start to turn golden, remove using a slotted spoon and drain excess oil out. Place it on a plate covered with an absorbent tissue paper.
- Press the remaining dough in the similar manner.
NOTE: Keep in mind that the ribbon pakodas (or any deep fried stuff for that matter) will acquire a shade darker after you remove them from oil. So do not let them brown too much while in the oil.
- When the ribbon pakodas cool down, transfer these into an air-tight container to retain freshness.
- You can store them for about a month, but trust me these addictive ribbons will not last that long and vanish within no time.
A Quick Summary:
Easy Ribbon Pakoda Recipe | Ribbon Murukku | Nada Pakoda
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rice Flour
- 3/4 cup Gram Flour Besan
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- A pinch of Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon melted Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Hot oil
- Required water to knead
- Oil for deep frying
- Murukku Maker
Instructions
- Sieve together rice flour and gram flour.
- To this add salt, red chilli powder, asafoetida, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, melted butter and hot oil.
- Add water little by little and knead soft dough.
- Grease the murrukku maker with oil, place the disc with thin slits with in it and fill in the dough into murukku maker.
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat till hot.
- Press out thin strips of the dough form the murukku maker into the hot oil in a circular manner.
- When the oils stops bubbling, flip over the pakoda and fry on the other side.
- Remove using a slotted spoon once they turn golden brown and place it on a plate covered with absorbent tissue paper.
- Work with the rest dough in the similar manner.
- Once cool, transfer into an air-tight container and store for about a month.
My Notes:
- When making large quantities, always mix the dough in small portions, so that the dough will not become very soft and in turn reduces the oil consumption. Or avoids the dough from becoming very dry and breaking while pressing the ribbons.
- For a spicy version, you can increase the quantity of Red chilli powder while kneading the dough.
- Fry over medium heat. Make sure you fry them in hot oil. If you make it in low flame, the pakodas will absorb a lot of oil. Allow the oil temperature to recover between batches.
- If the murukku turns very hard to bite, it means the amount of hot oil you added to the dough is not enough. You can add an extra tablespoon of hot oil and make the next batch.
- If oil/butter is added more in the dough, the pakodas disintegrate in oil. So, please do not add more oil/butter than recommended.
- If the murukku is cracking on the sides when pressed, add in a little more water to the dough and mix well.
- If by any chance the dough becomes too soft, add in a little bit of rice flour and mix well.
- Enjoying ribbon pakodas with a cup Masala Chai on a gloomy, rainy autumn Sunday evening!!
Check out other FESTIVAL RECIPES, DIWALI SWEETS & DIWALI SNACKS from blog.
Many more to come!!…….STAY TUNED!!
Happy Cooking 🙂
Cheers!!
Padma.
