Ribbon Pakoda / Ola Pakoda / Spicy Ribbon Pakoda

Ribbon Pakoda is a traditional and popular South Indian snack, normally prepared during Diwali.   As a favourite tea snack, we can have it any time of the year!

I learnt this from my mother-in-law, who is an expert in preparing many traditional sweets and snacks.  Soon I will try to learn many recipes from her and share with you all! 

Try this crispy snack along with tea; enjoy your evening time!

Ingredients:

Gram flour / Kadalai Mavu - 2 cups
Rice flour - ½  cup
Roasted gram flour / pottukadalai mavu - ½  cup
Black sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - as required

Oil - for deep frying
Red chilli powder - 2 to 3 tsp

Instead of adding only red chilli powder, try this flavorful spicy addition:
To Grind:
Red chillies - 10
Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves
Sombu / fennel seeds- 1 tsp

Directions:

Add red chillies, garlic and sombu along with little water in a mixer.  Grind it into fine paste.

Add water to dilute and filter that mixture; keep aside.

Add besan flour, rice flour, roasted gram flour, sesame seeds and salt in a wide bowl.  Mix well. 

Add filtered spice water slowly and mix to make a soft dough.

Heat oil in a kadai, mean while add small portion of dough in the murukku press (using ribbon pakoda achu / plate ).  Press the dough in the circular motion into the hot oil.

Turn once in between and cook until the the sizzling sound of the oil stops.

Once it is done, remove the ribbon pakoda from oil and drain in tissue paper.

Allow to cool completely and store in air tight container.

Note:

It will not be crunchy, as soon as you take from oil. Once it cools, you can feel the crunchiness.

Adjust the red chilli powder / redchilli according to your taste.

You can store this for 2 to 3 weeks.