Ribbon Pakoda

A mega festival in India just got over - Deepavali. I guess this is one festival which is celebrated across India - in all states. Since this festival marks the beginning of Winter, this festival is celebrated with savouries and sweets and most of them are prepared at home. Today I am presenting Ribbon Pakoda Which my mother prepares for Deepavali every year.

Ribbon Pakoda is my favourite among the savouries that my mother prepares. She prepares a huge tin full of this savourie and I happily gorge it up within minutes. I can eat this the whole day without any other food. Since I always get this from my mother, I haven't tried making this of my own. This Deepavali I tried my hands on making this Ribbon Pakoda. 

Though I followed my mom's instructions I still feel my ribbon pakoda was not like my mother's. Of-course the acchu (the plate in the murukku press used to make this ribbon pakoda) has a small difference. But still taste-wise also I felt something is missing. Probably the mother's-touch. 

Ingredients:

Besan / gram flour - 2 cups

Rice flour - 1 cup

Butter - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Hing / asafoetida  - 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Oil - to deep fry

Method:

• Heat a Kadai with oil to deep fry.
• In the meanwhile, in a wide bowl, add riceflour, besan, butter, asafoetida, chilli powder and salt. Mix everything well.
• Now add water little by little and make a smooth dough. The dough should not be too tight or too loose.
• Prepare the nazhi/press with the ribbon pokkodam achu (one with hyphens '-')
• Place a golf sized ball of the prepared dough in the nazhi/murukku press.
• Check if oil is ready by dropping a tiny drop of the dough in the oil, if it rises up immediately then the oil is ready.
• Lower the heat, and squeeze out the dough in a circular motion into the oil from the nazhi/press.
• Keep heat in medium and fry by flipping the pakoda once or twice in between.
• Remove from oil when the bubbles in the oil have almost subsided. Drain on tissues.
• Repeat the same with remaining dough.
• Drain and cool then store in airtight container.

Notes:

• Homemade rice flour works best and tastes best, though store bought flour will do too.
• If making in large quantities, mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl and take small portions and mix water to make dough.
• If the dough is kept for too long, then the pakodas will become very red on frying.
• If the dough is too tight, then it will be very difficult to squeeze out pakoda. And if too loose, then the pakodas will get cut while squeezing also, they will drink too much oil.
• While storing make sure the pakodas are cooled completely before closing them in the airtight containers, else the vapour will condense and the pakodas will lose their crispiness.

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