Deepavali festival recipes | Diwali special savory recipe
[Update: This post was originally published on November 2007. I have updated it to include clear pictures and better instructions. The recipe remains the same.]

I have never really liked sweets all that much, right since childhood. My palate has always been extremely biased towards savories.  My husband shares my taste as well. We eat sweets in my house more as novelty/tradition/culture rather than love for it.  My little one is still in his transition phase and hence keeps switching on and off! But our love for munching on crispy treats remains constant.
Deepavali festival recipes | Diwali special savory recipe
My husband is partial to crispy homemade goodies. These known as Ribbon Pakoda or Ribbon Murukku hold a special place for him - especially this recipe since this is his mom's. I use her recipe every time to recreate his childhood memories and also to carry on the tradition for my little one.  These are very simple to make with ingredients that are probably in your pantry right now.  These come together in a jiffy and can be made even on short notice.  Crunchy in texture and addictive in taste, these are also easy to adapt to your preferences.
  • Cook time:
  • Prep time:
  • Serves: 4 people
  • Yields: Around 250 grams
Ingredients
  • 1-1/3 cup Besan (Chickpea flour)
  • 1/2 cup Rice Flour
  • 1 tbsp Dalda (Vegetable Shortening)
  • 1 tsp Chilli Powder, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds
  • Salt to taste
Method
1. Heat oil for deep frying. Sift the flours. Add all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Next add in the Dalda,
3. and rub it to the flour until it resembles bread crumbs (sort of!)
4. Next add tbsp of water at a time, slowly incorporating it to the dough
5. until it comes together into a semi soft dough. You don't want it too tight, nor do you want it soft.
6. The mold I use is the one in the picture below which helps in forming the ribbon shape (hence the name of the recipe). But you will not be held accountable if you do not own this. Use another mold. It won't make any difference to the end product.
7. Spoon some dough into the mold
8. Using the top press some dough right into the hot oil. You want the oil med-high heat.
9. Remember that the oil will bubble and come up, so you need a high pan. If your pan is small, just add very little dough at a time.
10. Press slightly to make ribbons and cut off to release it into the oil. Lot of bubbling action will follow it.
11. Turn it after a minute and continue cooking until the murukku turns golden brown
12. and the oil stops all that hissing sound and settles down. When the bubble ceases, you know your murukku is done.
13. Remove and drop it to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with rest of the batter.
Cool and then store it in air tight container.  These keep well for several weeks, but never lasts that long in my house. This batch lasted only 2 days! Deepavali festival recipes | Diwali special savory recipe

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3 Member Reviews

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By Shruti on Oct 25, 2011

Used a version slightly different from DK's... (my great grandmother's)

Ingredients:

1.      Besan – 1 cup

2.      Rice Flour – 3 cup

3.      Hing – 1 teaspoon

4.      Chilli Powder – a little

5.      Salt – a little

6.      Butter – a lemon sized ball

7.      Water

8.      Oil for frying

Method:

Heat the oil. Mix all the ingredients together with water, pour 6 tablespoons of heated oil in it, and make soft dough, slightly looser than the dough used for chapattis. Put the dough in the handpress die, and press on hot oil. Cook till golden brown...

By Deepa on Oct 23, 2011

Just the way you had mentioned ! It was so great. Never thought it would be so easy.

My nazhi (maker) had thin plate so it came out thin , nice and crispy. Yours in the pic looks fluffy. 

Thank you so much for posting all the receipes along with the pics. Makes us understand , much better look wise.

Appreciate you continue with more trial receipes and post us.

 

Thanks / Deepa

 

 

Read All 3 Reviews →

21 Comments

By shel on Jul 9, 2015

hello ! seldom times i tried to make as per the details given through another website but to my dismay the dough just not passes out properly it just comes out very thin shape like thread pattern ! suggestion requested.

By Krithika on Oct 22, 2014

Another successful recipe !!! :lol:

Thank you :) --DK

By saras on Oct 17, 2014

Great pictures..am going to try it soon. You havent responded on whether dalda can be substituted with anything? thanks! :)

Butter should work as well. --DK

By Sushila on May 21, 2012

Ijust love your recipes b' cos they are very accurate.And it turns out the way it is supposed to be. Thanks for putting out this blog. And may we have many more recipes. Cheers!

Thank you so much Sushila :) --DK

By mina on Oct 27, 2011

instead of dalda can i use melted butter

By Mridula on Oct 1, 2011

Looks damn good... Plan to make it this Deepawali...just one question.... what can i substitute the Dalda with?

By Simran on Aug 30, 2011

Hey DK !!! Thnx for sharing WONDERS OF INDIA .. They are so tempting, plz advise on murrukku maker in Gurgaon, or ve have to get it from somewhere in south India? Will be obliged with answer.

By priya on Apr 18, 2011

Planning to try this tommorow. Can I substitute dalda with anything else?

By Jyothi on Oct 15, 2009

Hi, I tried this recipe today and it came out very well. I am going to try your thattai and seedai recipe tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe and keep the good work going. Hi Jyothi, thank you for your words of encouragement :) Appreciate it -- DK

By Meeta on Nov 26, 2007

WOW! This looks great. Lovely color!

By Vanamala Hebbar on Nov 21, 2007

Hi Dhivya

Found your blog !! Colorful collections of recipes..
Ribbon murukku pics are very nice..yummy to eat in the winter season rght!!!

By KayKat on Nov 21, 2007

Awesome festive snack - wish you could ship me some right now!

By sagari on Nov 21, 2007

o my goodness lookss soooo yummyyyyy

By Rina on Nov 21, 2007

Who won't like murukku. Thanks for that wonderful digital description.

By Asha on Nov 21, 2007

YUMMY! Love this snack, made it for Dasara!:))

By Kribha on Nov 21, 2007

simply beautiful. I wanted to make this for diwali but I lost the aachu and couldn't find it at all. Yours look very good.

By Seema on Nov 21, 2007

Ribbon murruku looks great. I have not tried this out at all...your step by step photos makes me feel good & try it out!

By Latha Narasimhan on Nov 21, 2007

Ribbon pakoras are yummy dhivya! Posting something everyday! great going! :)

By Priya on Nov 21, 2007

Ribbon pakoda is one of my favorites Dhivya...and you know what...I just got a pack of these from home...yayyyy yayyyy :)) Its been ages since I ate a somasi though !

By Sia on Nov 21, 2007

festivals are over but u seems to still busy with deep frying dhivya;)
looks delicious. just checked ur Ginger recipe and i absolutely loved it:)

By easycrafts on Nov 20, 2007

Ya, same pinch...urs look more fluffy