Like murukku, ribbon pakoda and other deep fried bakshanams (snacks), pakoda, bhajji and bonda are also equally famous coffee time snacks in Tamil Nadu. The base for all these three snacks is the same. It starts with chickpea flour (besan, kadalai maavu), rice flour, chili powder, hing and salt. The difference lies only in the consistency of the batter and the vegetables/stuffing going inside the batter.

The batter for pakoda (especially the Tamilian style of preparation) is quite stiff and hence once it's deep fried it's crispier than the North Indian style pakoras. The usual pakodas are onion pakoda, pudina (mint) pakoda and cashew pakoda. Today I'm going to share my grandmother's recipe for spring onion pakoda. It's yet another signature dish of hers.

Spring Onion Pakoda

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Recipe: Spring Onion Pakoda
Prep and Cooking Time: 30 mins
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner
Makes: 12-16 pieces of pakoda
Shelf Life: Tastes good when served hot
Recipe Source: My grandmother
Recipe/Post by: Madhuram

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Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Ghee
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 bunch Spring Onions (scallions), finely chopped (measures about 2 cups)
3/4 cup Chickpea Flour/Besan
2 tablespoons cups Rice Flour
1-2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (or as per taste)
1/2 teaspoon Salt (or as required)
A pinch Asafoetida Powder/Hing
Water to sprinkle
Oil for frying

Special Utensils:
Deep Frying Pan
Slotted Ladle (to drain the oil while removing the pakodas)

Preparation:
For the dough:

1. Take a large bowl; add ghee and baking soda and rub it nicely with the tip of your fingers until it's nice and foamy.
2. To this add the chopped spring onions and salt; mix everything together with your fingers and set aside for at least 5 minutes (and maximum 10 minutes) so that the salt will enable some water secretion.
3. After 5 minutes add the chickpea flour, rice flour, chili powder, hing and a teaspoon of hot oil and mix it thoroughly. The dough will be sticky. Have a small bowl filled with water nearby, so that you can dip your fingers in the water and mix the dough easily. Do not pour down the water in the dough. The water from the salt and a little sprinkle while mixing the dough is all it needs if you want very crispy (like store bought) pakodas.

For deep frying:

1. Heat oil for frying in a deep and heavy bottomed pan (Kadai) even before preparing the dough.
2. Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small piece of the dough in the oil and it should float atop almost immediately. If the oil is in high heat reduce it to medium. When frying at high heat the snack will become red very quickly but the inside will be raw. If the heat is very low, the pakodas will not be crispy and will also absorb a lot of oil. So the temperature of the oil is very important for deep frying snacks.
3. Pinch about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of dough and drop it in the hot oil. Depending on the size of the pan, you can fry a couple of pakodas in one batch. Mine was a medium size pan, so I was able to fry 5-6 at the same time.
4. Fry it until it's golden brown and the sizzling sound of the oils stops.
5. Remove the pakodas from the pan using a slotted ladle; drain the excess oil by pressing it lightly against the kadai.
6. Transfer the pakodas to sheets of paper towel to remove some more oil. Serve immediately with chutney or ketchup.

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Special Notes/Tips:

• The spring onions we get in US/Canada is very big then what I have seen in India, so 1 bunch was enough for me.
• The same recipe can be used to prepare the regular onion pakodas. Instead of slicing the onions with a knife, I usually use a mandolin to get very thin slices of onion, so when salt is added it secretes enough water to hold the flour together and the pakodas come out very crisp. No need to add extra water at all.

“What are they?” asked British lady standing right next to me in Asian grocery store.
“Its curry leaves”, I replied.
“Oh! So curry powder is made from these leaves then?”

I just met another person who thinks curry powder is made from curry leaves or some part of its tree and I am sure that there are many more like her who thinks the same! I, along with my friends here in BC and many other food bloggers, have been stressing that there is nothing called “Curry Powder” in Indian cuisine. Now that I have told that curry leaves are not used in making curry powder, shall we go one step ahead and explore the fragrant routine of discovering how curry leaves are used in Indian cuisine?

The Curry Tree or Karivepallai or Kadipatta (Scientific name: Murraya koenigii) is a tropical to sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae, which is native to India. It produces the leaves known as Curry leaves or Sweet Neem leaves.

The small and narrow leaves somewhat resemble the leaves of the Neem tree; therefore they are also referred to as Karuveppilai (translated to Black Neem leaf) in Tamil and Malayalam, Karu/Kari meaning black, ilai meaning leaves and veppilai meaning Neem leaf. In the Kannada language it is known as Kari BEvu and Karivepaku in Telugu, again translating to the same meaning Black Neem leaf. Other names include Kari Patta (Hindi), which probably is a corrupt translation of Karuveppilai, noroxingha (Assamese), Bhursunga Patra (Oriya), Kadhi Patta (Marathi), Mithho Limdo (Gujarati) and Karapincha (Sinhalese).

(Source: Wiki)

Curry leaves are aromatic and hence used as one of the main ingredients in tadka/tempering for most of South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. Although it is a most loved ingredient for seasonings in the south Indian culinary world, its use doesn’t limit to this. The fresh aromatic leaves are used to make wet chutney, chutney powders, spice blends etc. They are also used for many medicinal purposes as an antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholesterolemic etc. My grandmother never got tired of saying how good these leaves are for lustrous and glossy hair when consumed in fresh/raw form! And trust me when I say that our Grandmothers never lie when it comes to curry leaves!

Many good Asian grocery shops sell good bunch of fresh curry leaves and some also sell them as frozen or in dried form. Although you can use these frozen or dry curry leaves, their aroma and flavour is much mellow when compared to the heady aroma of fresh curry leaves. When these curry leaves are added to hot oil, along with other seasonings ingredients, the heady aroma of released from these leaves is something that you need to experience on your own as it is way too difficult to express in few words! These leaves infuse their flavour to any dish they touch and make their presence felt.

Curry Leaves Chutney Powder

Today’s recipe features Curry Leaves in lead role and not just as a cameo! This recipe of Curry Leaves Chutney Powder is made from one of my favourite cookbooks: Cooking at Home with Pedatha. In South India, any traditional meal is incomplete without Pickles and/or Chutney Podi. For all who are short of time, pickles and podis are nothing short of saviours! For a quick fix meal, all that is needed is some steamed rice, ghee (Indian clarified butter), some papads and pickle or podi of your choice and voila, you have one delicious meal to savour!

This Curry Leaves Chutney Powder is one of my favourite condiments to have with some crisp Dosa or fluffy and spongy Idli or simple steam cooked rice and chilled curds/yogurt. The recipe is simple and straight forward! All you need is a bunch of curry leaves, few lentils and whole spices. Roast them all in few teaspoons of oil and grind them to coarse powder along with tamarind for that tangy flavour. And in few minutes you have this aromatic, spicy, tangy, protein rich Podi that could be simply stored for a month or two!!! As and when needed, take one or two spoonfuls of this powder and mix them with a bowl of hot/warm rice, papad, ghee or a bowl of yogurt and you have this delicious meal ready in a jiffy. Life can’t get much simpler than this!

Roasted Ingredients for Curry Leaves Chutney Powder

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Recipe: Curry Leaves Chutney Powder (Spicy, tangy & aromatic blend of Curry Leaves, Lentils, Spices & Tamarind)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Makes: Around 1 cup of Chutney Powder
Shelf Life: 2-3 months when refrigerated
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner
Recipe Source: Cooking at Home with Pedatha
Recipe/Post by: Sia

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Ingredients:
2 cups Fresh Curry Leaves, loosely packed
8-10 Dry Red Chillies, about 3 inch long and stalks removed
1 small Lime sized Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp powdered Hing/Asafoetida
2 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils
2 tsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
1 tsp Jaggery/Sugar (Optional)
2-4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Curry Leaves Chutney Powder

Method:

1. Remove curry leaves from its stalk and rinse them clean. Wipe them dry using kitchen towel and keep them aside till needed.
2. Heat a wide pan on medium flame and dry roast urad dal and channa dal, separately, till they turn golden brown and keep them aside.
3. In a same pan, add hing and roast on low heat for half a minute and keep it aside along roasted lentils.
4. Add about 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan and when it is heated add curry leaves. Roast these curry leaves on medium heat till they turn crisp but retain that lovely green colour, about 3-5 mins. Keep it aside.
5. In a same pan, add dried red chillies and roast for around half a minute to minute. Make sure that you don’t roast the chillies too much and turn black. Keep it aside along with other ingredients.
6. Next add tamarind pulp in a pan and roast for around 45 seconds. Keep it aside to cool.
7. Once all the ingredients have cooled enough, transfer them into dry mixer or food processor jar and grind to fine or coarse powder according to your preference.
8. Transfer ground powder into dry and clean jar. Pop it in refrigerator for longer shelf life. You can serve this delicious Curry Leaves Chutney Podi/Powder with Dosa, Idli or steamed rice and enjoy.

Serving Suggestion:

• Take a teaspoon or two of Curry Leaves Chutney Powder and mix them with a bowl of steam cooked rice, topped with ghee and some Papads. Or mix this Chutney powder with a bowl of rice and yogurt.
• You can also serve it as a side dish with Dosa or Idli, topped with a dollop of Ghee or oil.

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Special Notes/Tips:

• Make sure that the curry leaves are washed, rinsed and dried thoroughly before frying them as the moisture will reduce the shelf life of this chutney powder.

Pakora is a fried snack found across South Asia, and an integral part of Indian, Punjabi and Pakistani cuisine. Pakoras are also found in other South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. (Source-Wiki) These are fritters made with different vegetables like potato, onion, cauliflower etc or boiled eggs, dipped in a batter and deep fried. They are popular snacks that are perfect accompaniment to afternoon teas/coffees or to ward off blues during the rainy monsoon season!

Cabbage Fritters ~ Pakoras

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Recipe Name: Cabbage Pakoras (Spicy Cabbage Fritters)
Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Level: Beginner
Recipe/Post by: Vani

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Ingredients:
1 cup Cabbage (shredded)
1/4 cup Chickpea Flour/Besan
2 tbsp Rice Flour
1 tsp Red Chili Powder (or to taste)
1/8 tsp Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp grated Ginger
4-5 tbsp Water
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Cabbage Pakoras with Mint & Coriander Chutney

Procedure:

1. Combine cabbage, the flours, the powders, ginger and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Add enough water to bind the ingredients and mix well. The consistency of the batter should be thick, just enough to coat the cabbage.
3. Heat oil to 375F.
4. With a spoon, scoop the batter and drop in hot oil.
5. Fry until the edges are crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Then turn them over to fry on the other side, for another minute or so.
6. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
7. Serve with mint and coriander chutney and/or date/tamarind chutney.

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Special Notes/Tips:

• Pancake mix can be used instead of the two flours used here. Since the flour has a tinge of sweetness to it, you can add more red chili powder to balance it out.
• Ajwain or carom seeds can be used in place of cumin seeds or can be left out altogether.
• Coleslaw mixes with pre-shredded cabbage and carrots are a quick and easy substitute for the shredded cabbage.

Mint and Coriander Chutney is to North Indians what Chili con queso is to Texmex cuisine, Guacamole is to Mexican, Nam Pla is to South East Asian, and Mayonnaise is to European.

We love to dip almost any snack in this lovely, flavorful, easy to make , tangy chutney,which is an indispensable item for many street foods too , in North of India

A dip or dipping sauce is a common condiment for many types of food. Dips are used to add flavor to a food, such as pita bread, dumplings, crackers, cut-up raw vegetables, seafood, cubed pieces of meat and cheese, potato chips, tortilla chips, or falafel. Unlike other sauces, instead of applying the sauce to the food, the food is typically put into, or dipped, into the dipping sauce (hence the name). Dips are commonly used for finger foods and other easily held foods. Dip is a very widespread food. Forms of dip are eaten all over the world.
(Source: Wikipedia)

The fresh coriander leaves with flavorful Mint leaves and few other ingredients makes the chutney a wonderful condiment to dip snacks like Samosas, Pakoras (Bhajjis), Tikkis/Patties and it is also used as a spread on bread slices to make different sandwiches.The Coriander chutney is an integral part of Mumbai's World famous Vegetable Sandwich.This Dip is also known as Hari (Green) Chutney in local language

The recipe for Mint Coriander Chutney is very versatile, you can throw in different proportions of Mint and Coriander depending upon what flavor you like to dominate. Generally More of coriander leaves and lesser amount of mint leaves are used in this condiment, but you can go ahead and experiment.

Hari Chutney/Green Chutney/Mint Coriander Chutney

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Recipe: Hari Chutney (Coriander Mint Chutney)
Prep Time: 15-20 mins (that includes picking mint leaves)
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Makes: Around 1 cup of Chutney
Shelf Life: 7 days in refrigerator, but better to consume within a day or two if using tamarind and spinach
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner
Recipe/Post by: Alka

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Ingredients:
A small bunch Coriander leaves
Few twigs of Mint leaves
5-7 Spinach Leaves (optional)
2-3 Green chillies (Depending upon your taste)
Tamarind, a small lump
4-5 Garlic cloves
1 inch Ginger piece
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2-4 Whole Black pepper corns
1 small Onion
Salt as per taste

Special Utensils:
Food Processor / Mixer with Wet grinder jar or blender

Ingredients used in preparing Mint Coriander Chutney

Method:

1. Pick Mint leaves from the stalks. Pick coriander leaves, but do not discard the tender stalks.These give the volume to Chutney
2. Addition of spinach leaves is optional, but these again add volume and nutrition quotient of chutney , making it more iron rich. So pick few leaves of spinach too
3. Rinse thoroughly all the greens, drain excess water
4. In a Food processor/ Mixer, throw in all the ingredients listed and pulse it few times, until you get a smooth mixture.
5. If needed, add few spoons of water for a smoother paste.
6. Store it in refrigerator.

Greens for Mint Coriander Chutney: Mint, Spinach & Coriander

Serving Suggestion:

• Can be served as a dip for snacks, finger foods etc.
• As a spread on Breads for making vegetable sandwich. Apply butter on one side of slice, place some slices of boiled potato and beetroots , cucumber, onions etc, spread a spoonful of chutney on other side and enjoy this Mumbai style sandwich. You can also roast this sandwich on griddle, or grill it in MW,
• You can also use this Dip over roasted vegetables or making Bhel (Mixture of puffed rice with Farson, an iconic Mumbai Street food)
  

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Special Notes/Tips:

• The chutney tastes better after a day, when all the flavors have wonderfully mixed.
  Make sure to consume the chutney within a day or two, though it could be refrigerated for maximum 7 days.
  
• Spinach is optional, but it adds taste, volume and nutrition to the chutney.
• Generally lemon juice is added to this chutney. So if you want to add lemon, skip the tamarind, squeeze a lemon after grinding the mixture. Taste and adjust the tanginess.
• In few households, tamarind juice is used instead of Lemon. Though tamarind gives a darker shade, the spinach leaves compensates that by giving a nice green hue to the chutney.
• Opptionally some even add a spoon of sugar to the chutney which adds an entirely different flavor.

For those who watch Bollywood movies regularly it is not a new thing to find that samosas are part of every celebration - birthday parties and lovers meeting too! Samosas find emphasis and importance in many scenes! Remember the scene where Rajesh Khanna meets Asit Sen in a market during the rains and is offered a whole plate of hot samosas in a bowl made of leaves in Amar Prem? I did not mean to bring in a personal reference here but how can a foodie with a love for movies hold herself back, especially when it is that scene which is responsible for my love for samosas in monsoons? Yes, babumoshai.... you gotto taste these perfect samosas with my twist to it! I am not one to prepare these very often but the fact that children (all the time) and adults (sometimes) need to indulge themselves every once in a while drives me to prepare hot samosas every monsoon!

There are some differences in the way I have prepared these samosas and the way it is traditionally prepared. I have added vinegar to give the covering a flakier and crisper crust that lasts longer than the traditional covering. I borrowed the idea from Western preparations which use vinegar for added flaky texture in puff pastries and tarts. It is definitely an improvement that I would suggest you try out too. Alternatively you can try making these by adding sour unflavoured yogurt or a heaped tablespoon of hot ghee instead. I also suggest that one could settle for a mixture of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour in case one is conscious about health. I do this very often and so far no one has spotted the difference. This plate of delicious Samosas are on it's way to dear EC's WYF: Fried Sanck Event.

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Recipe: Samosa or Indian Puffs
Prep & Cookijavascript:void(0)ng Time: 30 minutes - Resting period excluded
Recipe Level: Requires practice in shaping, else easy
Makes: 6 to 8
Shelf Life: Best served hot, low shelf life.
Recipe/Post by: Sunshinemom

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Ingredients:

For the covering:
1 cup All purpose flour/Maida (I use APF + Whole wheat flour in equal proportions)
1 tbsp Cornflour/Maize starch
1 tbsp Oil (Preferably an oil without any flavor like sunflower)
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste (Optional - not traditionally added)
Lukewarm water - 1/2 cup mixed with 1tsp. of white vinegar
(Please read introduction for use of vinegar)

For the filling:
Potatoes (Boiled and peeled) - 3 medium sized
Green Peas (Freshly podded or thawed) - 2 tbsps.
Coriander seeds (roughly crushed with pestle) - 1/4 tsp.
Saunf/Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Ajwain / Carom seeds - 1/4 tsp. (Optional but takes care of flatulence caused by APF)
Coriander powder - 1tsp. (Alternately, use garam masala)
Dry mango powder (Amchoor) - 1/4 tsp.
Ginger - 1tsp. grated
Green chillies - 1 (Add more to increase heat if needed)
Black salt - 1/8 tsp.
Coriander leaves (Finely chopped) - 1tbsp.
Oil - 1tsp.

Oil for frying

For shaping the samosas:
Flour for dusting and water in a small bowl at room temperature.
You will require a chakla/roti making stone(you may use your platform too), a rolling pin (heavier preferred) and a sharp knife.

Special Utensils:
Deep Frying Pan
Slotted spoon
Slotted vessel lined with tissue to hold the drained samosas

Preparation:
Dough: (Watch the video here on youtube)

1. Take a large bowl and mix together the flours, salt and chilli powder.
   
2. Heat oil in a small seasoning wok and pour it into a well in the center of the flour.
3. Add 1/2 the water and vinegar mixture and gather into a stiff dough. If needed sprinkle water only as much as needed to form a stiff but pliable dough. Discard the rest of the water.
4. Rest the oiled dough for at least 30minutes. Meanwhile prepare the filling.
   

Filling:

1. Grate the ginger, chop the chilli. Crush the two together in a mortar till mixed.
2. Heat oil in a shallow pan and add the fennel and coarsely crushed coriander seeds along with the ginger-chilli paste. Add the peas and fry with a little salt till the peas are done. Remove from heat.
   
3. In a large bowl mash the potatoes but retain a few chunks. It should not turn into a paste. Add the seasoned peas mixture and the rest of the seasoning. Add salt. Taste at this point and increase the coriander powder or mango powder to your taste. Usually the filling has to be slightly more tangy than salty. In case mango powder is not available squeeze lime after the potato mixture is removed from heat, and mix - do not press too much or the filling turns pasty.
   

Shaping the samosas and filling: (Watch the video here and here on youtube)

1. Samosas are shaped into triangular or pyramid shapes. Please check the video in youtube or follow pictures above if the text confuses you.
2. The dough should have rested for at least 30 minutes rendering it flaky. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 equal balls and applying even pressure, roll them into spheres, between your palms. If you find them too flaky (they will form creases and split), dip your fingers in water and use that to press the ball into a less stiffer and more pliable ball.
3. Flatten the ball, dust with flour, remove excess dusted flour and roll applying even pressure to form a 2mm thick circle about 6 inches in diameter. If the edges are uneven use a vessel with sharp rims and a mouth nearly 6" wide, hold it over the flattened dough and neatly trim the edges.
4. Now cut the circle into half.
5. Hold one half in your palm with the arc towards you and the straight line away from you. Fold one end of the semi-circle towards the center of the arc. Dip your finger in water and apply water with your index finger along the folded straight line. Bring the second end so that the line falls straight over the wet portion. Press together to stick the edges right down so that you form a cone.
6. Now take 1.5 tsp. of the filling and press it gently into the cone so that you still have a rim that is 1cm higher than the filling. Apply a little water with your dipped finger along the insides of the rim and seal the rim into a conical shape as shown in the picture and the video. This forms your triangular samosa.
7. To form a pyramid shaped samosa, roll an oval that is 6" broad at the center and narrows down to not less than 3" at the ends. Proceed as in 6th step above, till you fill it. In this case one side of the rim will be a cm or so longer than the other. Fold the shorter rim over the filling. Apply water on the extended rim and trim neatly if needed. Form a small pleat in the center and then fold it over the shorter rim. Press gently but firmly till the ends are formed into sharp triangles. See that the edges are perfectly sealed as the filling will leak out while deep frying if not stuck firmly.
   
8. Form 6 to 8 samosas and keep the ones that are done covered under a damp cloth so that they do not become dry.

For deep frying:

1. Heat oil in a deep and heavy bottomed pan (Kadhai). The oil should be only moderately hot. Lower the flame before dropping a samosa.
   
2. Fry one samosa initially. If the oil is too hot the skin of the filling will form bubbles. The oil should be just hot enough so that samosa rises to the surface but goes from raw to cooked slowly. Keep tossing and turning so that the surface is done evenly. Do not hurry as the inner layer of the dough will remain uncooked otherwise. They should turn golden brown. If fried at the right temperature the skin will not form bubbles, the insides will be cooked and the crispy crust will retain shape longer. If not the taste of the uncooked dough will irritate you.
   
3. Remove with a slotted spoon, cool and taste to see that the covering is crisp and cooked. Now that you know the temperature, fry the rest but do not add more than two at a time. If needed, lower the flame.
4. Serve with tomato ketchup, green chutney or tamarind and date chutney or even chickpeas.
   

Ingredients for tamarind and date chutney:
1/2 cup thin tamarind extract
2 pitted dates chopped rough
1 tsp. organic jaggery crushed
A pinch each of black salt, amchoor, chilli powder and roasted cumin powder.

Method:

1. Mix tamarind extract, dates and jaggery together. Heat till the jaggery dissolves completely. Remove from heat and crush the mixture slightly before straining.
   
2. Add the spices and mix well. Taste and increase salt and chilli powder if needed.
   

Serving and eating:

1. The samosas should be served with a 1/4 cup of thin chutney in cup. Pieces of samosas should be dunked into the chutney, removed and eaten.
2. Burp...burp:)

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Special Notes/Tips:

• Traditionally vinegar is not used but it gives flakier covering. Sour yogurt will have the same effect.
  
• Addition of saunf is optional but it adds to the taste.
  
• While frying, slide the samosa from the edge gently and do not drop it into the oil at the center. The oil should be only moderately hot else the samosa will burn on the surface but remain uncooked inside.
• You will end up with a good samosa even if the dough is not stiff but it is bound to absorb a good amount of oil!
• As an alternative one could make tiny samosas with just 1/2 tsp filling and serve as appetizers. I have done this with tremendous success at lunches.
• The filling is your playground. Be innovative - how about grated and seasoned cauliflower or chopped and mixed dry fruits? I have done the latter added with khoa/mawa/solidified milk on one occasion and it was well received.
  

The cuisine of Tamil Nadu has a vast variety of snack items (usually called bhakshanam in Tamil) and Murukku is the most famous among the multitude. There are different types of murukku but the base is quite similar for all. It all starts with rice flour with a combination of one or more lentil flours and seasonings. The flours along with a small quantity of butter (for the "melt in your mouth" texture) is mixed with little water to form a dough and is extruded in hot oil using a murukku press (a mechanical device specifically designed to make different shapes of murukku which is quite similar to the modern day cookie press).

Ribbon pakoda (or murukku) is one of the types of murukku which is quite popular in Tamil Nadu. It's spicier than its other counterparts. There are countless methods to prepare this murukku and the following is my version of preparing it. I use readily available rice flour and chickpea flour to prepare it. My mother usually soaks chana daal with little rice and red chillies, grinds it into a smooth paste and prepares this murukku. The ratio of the flours used can also be different than what I have used. I have incorporated one thing which my grandmother usually does while preparing snacks like murukku. She mixes a small portion of powdered pottu kadalai (dalia) to give extra crispness. Sending these cripsy and delicious Ribbon Pakodas to EC's WYF: Fried Sanck Event. Now to the recipe.

Ribbon Pakoda

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Recipe: Ribbon Pakoda
Prep & Cooking Time: 30 mins
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner
Makes: 10-12 medium size ribbon pakodas
Shelf Life: Around 1 month when stored in air tight container
Recipe/Post by: Madhuram

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Ingredients:
1½ cups Chickpea Flour/Besan
1½ cups Rice Flour
¼ cup Dalia, powdered
1 to 2 tablespoons Red Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida Powder/Hing
3 tablespoons Butter (softened at room temperature)
Salt as per taste
Water as required
Oil for frying

Special Utensils:
Murukku Press (Acchu)
Deep Frying Pan
Slotted Ladle (to drain the oil while removing the murukku)

About the Murukku Press:

Murukku Press

The press has 3 parts. A hollow tube (where the dough has to be placed), the bottom of which has to be covered by a screwable metal insert and the heavy metal press which goes inside the hollow tube. Always clean all the parts of the press and wipe it dry before using it. The muruku press comes with different types of inserts. For ribbon pakoda we have to use the one with 2 hyphen like small slots.

Preparation:
For the dough:

1. Take a large bowl and mix together all the flours, butter and seasonings and keep it aside.
2. Take another small bowl and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (depending on the size of the ribbon pakoda you want) of the flour mix and add 2-3 tablespoons of water to form a pliable ball of dough. It should not be very stiff like poori dough and not very soft like chapathi dough, but somewhere in between. If the dough is very stiff, it will be very hard on your hands to press the down and if its very loose the ribbon pakoda will absorb a lot of oil.
3. Also taste the dough to check for the required amount of spice and salt.

For deep frying:

1. Heat oil for frying in a deep and heavy bottomed pan (Kadai) while preparing the dough.
2. Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small piece of the dough in the oil and it should float atop almost immediately. If the oil is in high heat reduce it to medium. When frying at high heat the snack will become red very quickly but the inside will be chewy and raw. If the heat is very low, the ribbon pakoda will not be crispy and will also absorb a lot of oil. So the temperature of the oil is very important for deep frying snacks.
3. When the dough is ready, grease the inside of the press with some oil/non stick cooking spray. Now put the ball of dough inside the hollow tube and insert the top portion of the press. Take it over to the hot oil and apply even pressure in circular motion so that strands of dough will slowly release in the oil. The size of the murukku will depend on the size of the frying pan you are using. You can make it big or small.





4. Fry it until it is golden brown and the sizzling sound of the oil stops.
5. With a slotted ladle remove the ribbon pakoda and drain the excess oil by lightly pressing it against the side of the kadai and transfer it to a paper towel.
6. Once cool store it in an air tight container and it keeps well even for a month.

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Special Notes/Tips:

• Usually water is also added straightaway after mixing the flours but I follow Mallika Badrinath's tip of preparing individual batch of dough for each ribbon pakoda, so that the dough does not dry or secretes water and the ribbon pakoda also retains its crispness for an extended duration.
• Addition of garlic is purely optional. In Chennai there is this very famous sweet and snacks stall called Archana's and I'm an addict for the garlic ribbon pakoda they sell there. I tried to mimic it and also had garlic powder at home so used it.

Spices podis have always been a favorite one with me. As I was explaining about the Andhra Thali in my post on Cooking Rice, Spiced powders or Gun powders are they commonly called down south, are part and parcel of a thali. That being said, the spiced powders are mostly made with lentils flavored and spiced with spices and chilies. Apart from the lentil based powders we also make with herbs. The most famous being the Karvepaku Podi (Spiced Curry leaf powder). We can find other herbs and spices being included and new versions coming out of them too.

All these spiced powders are mostly enjoyed by mixing with steaming rice and a dollop of ghee. And eating is mostly by making a ball of this rice mix and aiming your mouth. Since this is such a heavenly treat you can never miss the target I am sure. Also making them into podis is the best way of preserving the goodness for a longer duration. Like most herbal podis stay good for over a weeks time.

But these make a great combo with chappatis and puris mixed with ghee. Coming to the podi that I am going to talk about, its a lovely combination of Coriander, Curry Leaves along with Sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are very integral part of Andhra cuisine. The most famous being the Nuvulla Pulihora. Sesame seeds take the mixed rice to a different level. I felt the same when I tasted this combination. Roasted Curry leaves leave your heady but when combined with Sesame seeds it was potent.

Chutney Powder with Curry Leaves, Coriander Leaves & Sesame Seeds

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Recipe: Chutney Powder with Curry Leaves, Coriander leave and Sesame Seeds
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Makes: Around 1 cup of Chutney Powder
Shelf Life: Up to 1 month when refrigerated
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner
Recipe Source: MIL
Recipe/Post by: Srivalli

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Ingredients:
1 cup Fresh Curry Leaves, loosely packed
1 cup Fresh Coriander Leaves, loosely packed
8-10 Dry Red Chillies, about 3 inch long and stalks removed
2 tbsp Black Sesame Seeds
5 -6 Garlic flakes
2-4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Chutney Powder with Curry Leaves, Coriander Leaves & Sesame Seeds

Method:

1. Remove curry leaves from its stalk, pick the coriander leaves and rinse them clean. Wipe them dry using kitchen towel.
2. Heat a wide pan on medium flame and dry roast Sesame seeds till they start popping. Remove and keep aside.
3. In the same pan, add oil roast red chilies till its done, remove then add the dried curry leaves. Roast till the curry leaves turn crisp but retain that lovely green colour. Then roast coriander leaves till its well roasted and become soft, it takes about 3-5 mins. Keep it aside to cool.
4. Once all the ingredients have cooled enough, transfer them into dry mixer or food processor jar, add the peeled garlic along with all the ingredients and grind to fine or coarse powder according to your preference.
5. Transfer ground powder into dry and clean jar. Pop it in refrigerator for longer shelf life. You can serve this delicious Chutney Podi/Powder with Dosa, Idli or steamed rice with a dollop of ghee and enjoy.

Sending this to PJ who is hosting Think Spice event themed on Sesame Seeds, Think Spice an event started by Sunitha