🎉 Festive Snacks · Diwali
Ribbon Pakoda
South India's Diwali ribbon snack — rice and besan pressed in thin flat strips, fried crispy.
South India's Diwali ribbon snack — rice and besan pressed in thin flat strips, fried crispy.
Ribbon pakoda is South India's essential Diwali snack — flat, ribbon-like strips of spiced rice and besan flour pressed through a special ribbon disc and fried until completely crispy. The flavour is savoury, slightly peppery, with the characteristic crunch of deep-fried rice flour. The ribbon shape maximises surface area, producing crispier snacks per bite than round murukku.
Mix flours and spices. Rub in butter until crumbly. Add water for a smooth, firm dough. Fit the ribbon disc into the murukku/chakli press.
Butter coating on the flour particles creates the structure that produces crispiness. The ribbon disc creates a flat, wide strip — the large flat surface area means more direct contact with hot oil, faster moisture evaporation, and a crispier result than round shapes.
Press ribbons directly into 170°C oil. Break into 8–10cm pieces as they come out of the press. Fry 3–4 minutes until golden.
Breaking into pieces before they go too deep ensures even frying. The ribbon shape, being flat, cooks uniformly — there is no thick centre to contend with.