Ribbon Pakoda ( ரிப்பன் பக்கோடா)

Ribbon Pakoda

 ( ரிப்பன் பக்கோடா)  

Ingredient:
Rice flour ( அரிசி மாவு )  - 1 cup
Bengal Gram dhal flour/ Besan flour ( கடலை மாவு ) - 1/4 cup
Red Chili Powder ( மிளகாய் தூள் )  - 1 tsp
White Sesame Seeds ( வெள்ளை எள் )  - 2 tsp
Asafoetida ( பெருங்காயம் )  - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste ( உப்பு தேவையான அளவு)
Hot oil ( சூடான எண்ணெய் )  - 3 tbsp
Oil for frying ( பொரிப்பதற்கு தேவையான எண்ணெய் )

Steps:
In a wide bowl add the rice flour, gram flour, chili powder, salt and asafoetida.
Heat 3 tbsp oil and pour the hot oil over the ingredients and mix well with a spoon.
Can substitute the hot oil with melted butter also.
Clean the white sesame oil for any impurities and add to the mixture.
Knead the dough well.
Heat oil in a frying pan. When oil is hot enough, switch over to medium flame.
Fill the dough in the murukku press placing a chip with a flat thin slit.
Make a round of the dough directly on the hot oil.
When it is done on one side flip carefully using a ladle.
Fry on the other side.
When the sizzling sound has stopped remove from oil on to a kitchen towel to drain oil.
Repeat with the remaining dough.

Let it cool. Then store in an air tight container.

My Notes:
This is a simple version. Well suited for beginners and  working women. The hot oil over the flour gives a very good result - crisp ribbon pakoda.The crispness of the savory can be seen, before tasting, by the bubbly raised texture of the pakoda.

The pakoda will absorb more oil and colour of the pakoda will be deepened if the dough is kept too long outside. so prepare the dough in batches if you want in large quantities.
Also keep the fire in medium flame - too high will burn and too low will make it absorb more oil and less crispy.

Here is an another recipe of the above done from scratch.

 Soak parboiled rice and red chilies for minimum 1 hour. Fine grind them in a grinder. Add asafoetida and salt while grinding. Some prefer to add few cloves of garlic at this point.
Remove from the grinder and spread on a clean white cloth. Add bengal gram flour and mix well to bring to a dough consistency. The proportion of rice and dhal is the same as above.
Continue with the other steps as above.
Par boiled rice savories are more tastier but absorbs more oil.

Shelf life is longer if you prepare your own rice flour.

Another version is  using split yellow dhal ( moong dhal) together with the bengal gram dhal. This can also be tried.
Variation is for you to explore ;)

In tamil it is called நாடா தேங்குழல்  or ஓலை பக்கோடா. The name represents its appearance. naada is ribbon in tamil. The ribbon shaped savory is hit among people who like Indian savories.
Enjoy this festive season with your preferred choice of method. :)