This Masala Ribbon Pakoda has a different and wonderful taste from the routine Ribbon Pakodas as Mint, Coriander leaves, Green Chillies and Ginger are used.
Making it for the first time, I never anticipated the taste to be so perfect.
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| Masala Ribbon Pakoda |
Ingredients :
Besan Flour / Kadalai Mavu 1 cup
Rice Flour 1/3 cup
Butter 1 tbsp.
Oil, Salt, Hing
To grind in the mixer :
Cleaned, chopped Mint 1 tbsp.
Cleaned, chopped Coriander leaves 1 tbsp.
Cleaned chopped Ginger 1/2 tbsp.
Finely chopped green chillies 1/2 tbsp.
Method :
1. Finely grind the given ingredients in the mixer by adding 1/4 cup of water and stain it.
2. Mix the Besan Flour, Rice Flour, Hing and salt well.Add the stained Masala water and
butter. If necessary, add more water and make a dough like the Murukku dough.Hot oil
can also be added instead of butter.But only Butter gives the real taste.
3. Using the mould and the disc meant for Ribbon Pakoda, press the dough in the hot oil,
flip to the other side.When the bubbles disappear, remove from oil.Repeat till the
dough is over.The tasty Masala Ribbon Pakoda is ready.
This Ribbon Pakoda is prepared from the same batter for Murukku using Idli rice and Pottukadalai flour ( Roasted Channa Dhal ). We can prepare within 30 mins. tasty Ribbon Pakodas.
This can be prepared on the day when we are grinding the Idli batter, so that cleaning the grinder is easy.The Pakoda should be prpared atleast within 30 mins. after grinding.The Pakodas will be very crispy as the Pottukadalai ratio is different but
does not absorb oil.
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Ribbon Pakoda |
Ingredients :
Idli rice 2 cups
Roasted Channa Dhal ( Pottu Kadalai ) 1 cup.
Chilly Powder 1 tsp.
Butter 1 tsp. ( If no stock, hot oil can be used )
Salt, Hing
Oil 2 cups.
Method :
1. Dry the Pottukadalai in the sun for 2 hrs. or dry roast for 2 mins. If the Pottukadalai is
fresh and crisp, they can be powdered without drying.Seive them.This can be prepared
in advance and kept ready.
2. Soak the rice for 2 hours and grind to a fine paste. Add 1 tsp. of salt and hing
removing from the grinder.The consistency must be similar to Idli batter.
3. Mix the batter,Pottukadalai flour and butter together.If the batter is very hard,
sprinkle some water and mix. Be careful and don't add much water. The batter should
not be too hard or too loose.
4. Press them in the hot oil using the Murukku mould and the disc meant for Ribbon
Pakodas as one single round piece.Turn to the other side and remove from the oil after
the bubbles disappear.The whole batter can be made as Pakodas with in 30 mins.
Note :
As the batter is the same for Murukku,grinding 2 cups of rice, half can be made as
Ribbon Pakoda and half as Murukkus.For 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of Pottukadalai is used.
So the Pakodas are very crisp.For this proportion, adding coconuts or more butter
will make the batter to break into small pieces in the oil.
This Murukku, made of Boiled rice and Pottukadalai Flour is a very popular savoury of Kongu region.The measurements of the ingredients are my own, out of my experience because in our family, we used to make most of the snacks using raw rice flour.
The ratio of the ingredients were passed on to me by my neighbours and friends who gave as per kilo.They have been changed to cups for convenience.The ratio of the Pottukadalai to rice may seem to be high. But I have been preparing this Murukku for the past 30 years.They are very crispy and tasty. Murukkus made of raw rice flour and urad dhal powder,posted by me as Murukku I have an aroma of urad dhal flour whereas this Murukkus II have a different taste.
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Murukku |
Ingredients :
Puzhungal arisi ( Idli Rice ) 2 cups.
Roasted Channa Dhal 1 cup
Butter 1 tsp.( if not, hot oil 2 tsp. )
Cumin or Ellu ( Sesame , Black or White ) 2 tsp.
Chilly Powder 1 tsp.( optional )
Hing
Salt 1 tsp.
Oil 2 cups
Method :
1. Dry the Pottukadalai in the sun for 1 hour or dry roast for 1 min. in a tawa.Powder in
the mixi and seive it.If the Pottukadalai is crisp, they can be powdered without drying
or roasting and seived.
2. Soak the rice for 2 hours and grind to a fine paste by adding water as for idli batter.Add
salt in the end.Make the Murukkus atleast within 30 mins. after grinding.
3. Collect the batter in a bowl, add Hing, butter and Sesame or Cumin.Add Pottukadalai
powder and Chilli powder.Mix well. If the batter is hard, sprinkle some water and make
it little loose.The Sesame should be free from impurities.
4.Using the Murukku mould, press 4 by 4 in the hot oil in a tawa.Turn to the other side
and remove from oil after the bubbles disappear.The time taken is only 30 mins.
Note :
4 tbsp.of grated coconut also can be added while grinding the rice.In that case, Pottukadali has to be reduced to 3/4 cup.Otherwise the Murukkus may dissolve in oil.
One more tips.Some in their over enthusiasm to make soft Murukkus, add more butter.That is not right. Because already in my recipe, Pottukadalai, rice ratio is 1 : 2.
Adding more butter may make the Murukku to get split to small pieces.
With the same batter, Ribbon Pakoda can also be prepared.Half of the batter can be made into Murukkus and the other half as Ribbon Pakodas.
As Halwa is synonymous with Tirunelvei, my hometown, Kara Sevu is always identified with Sattur, the hometown of my spouse .Sattur is also my hometown now for the past three decades after our marriage. An exclusive post has been dedicated to Sattur, under the title, SATTUR, OUR TOWN, OUR PRIDE in my other blog, Stoppingbythewords.blogspot.com. where my recollections and travels are recorded.
Preparing Kara Sevu, that week ,was in my mind and the article in,The Hindu dated, Sunday, June 23. 2013, In search of Sattur Sevu, under the column, Food safari, a fortnightly feature in the Magazine Section of The Hindu, published on Sundays made us very happy and proud.We never return from Sattur without a bagful of Sevu from Chanmuga Nadar Kadai, ( Shanmuga Nadar Shop is colloquially called so. ) for us and for our friends and relatives.So also all the other visitors to Sattur and the local people.
Normally we add garlic and red chilly.At times, pepper is added instead of red chilly and garlic for a change.This time, one important tip could be got from the article.That is the mixing of two oils, refined oil and coconut oil, which set their brand apart as truly claimed by them.It is also a secret of their crispy and munchy Chevu, which I tried on the same day.Though we have been making chevus for many years, this time, with the combination of the two oils, it was perfect, giving me joy and pride.
A big thanks to the shop and my favourite daily, The Hindu.
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| Sattur Kara Sevu |
Ingredients :
Channa Dhal Flour / Kadalai Mavu 2 cups
Rice Flour 1/2 cup
Zeera / Cummin Seeds 1 tsp.
Chilli Powder 1 tsp.
Garlic Pods 10
Salt, Turmeric Powder, Hing
Coconut Oil 1 cup.
Any refined oil 2 cups
Method :
1. Sieve the flours and in a mixer grind the Garlic and Cummin seeds. As the quantity is less,add some water.See that it is free from the outer sheath of the garlic which may block the holes.
2. Mix well all the ingredients together by adding water. The consistency of the dough is similar to that of the Murukku dough, neither very hard nor very loose.
3.Heat the oil and press the dough in the oil like one whole big circlular piece using the Murukku mould.
4. When one side is cooked, turn it to the other side and remove from oil after the bubbles disappear.Break into small pieces when it cools.
Note :
1. Preparing Karasevu , I feel,is easier and faster than Murukku, as Murukku has to be made as separate pieces whereas Karasevu and Omapodi is one single piece.So turning to the other side and removing from oil is easy.Of course, it has to be pressed perfectly into a single piece without the dough, giving out extra small pieces.
2. When the two oils are mixed, there is a chance of the oil frothing, that is forming foams and the oil coming out of the vessel.So use a broad and little deep tawa.This is very important.The ratio of the oils was not given in the recipe.But I used sunflower and coconut oil in the ratio of 3:1.If there is no stock of coconut oil, use only refined oil.
3. Only the mixing of the oils gives the unique taste to the Sevu, being crisp after it cools.
4. In the early days, we used to prepare the Sevu by scratching the dough on a perforated tin sheet fixed on two wooden planks, the Sevu would fall in the oil in separate shreds Nowadays, with the small quantity, we use the Murukku mould where one big Kara Sevu has to be broken into small pieces.
5. Earlier we added butter and the sevu was soft but not crispy like the sevu of Shanmuga Nadar's shop. Now it is, ahaa, yenna rusi !
This different type of Murukku is made in my in law's house for many decades.Pasiparuppu flour is also added along with Uzhandha Mavoo and it has a rich taste.Though the shape resembles the Mullu Murukku, it is slightly different from that. In the Mullu Murukku mould, the holes in the round plate is in the shape of a star, while we use a round plate with holes in the shape of a plus symbol.
The round plate with the holes in the shape of a star can also be used for this.
Rice flour and urad dhal flour can be prepared at home or can be got from the stores.But pasiparuppu flour, if prepared in large quantity, like 1 kg. can be dried in the sun and ground in the commercial machine, ie. grinding mill.Small quantity like 1/2 can be powdered at home in the mixi and sieved.This can be prepared in advance and stored.
The pasiparuppu flour, powdered in large like 1 Kg. can be stored even for a year
outside the fridge in our country.
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| Magizhambu Thenguzhal |
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
No. of Murukkus : 50
Ingredients :
Rice Flour 2 cups
Urad dhal Flour 1/2 cup
Pasiparuppu / Payathamparuppu Flour 1/4 cup
Salt 1 levelled tsp.
Butter 2 levelled tsp.
Oil
Method :
1. Sieve all the flours with salt and mix well.Sieving the flours is very important.
2. Add the butter.
3. Add the water little by little and make a dough.
4. The dough must be of the right consistency. If the tough is very loose, the shape of this
murukku pressed through the star or the plus shaped holes may be lost.
5.Heat the oil in a flat shaped tawa.
6.Fill 3/4 of the murukku mould with the dough and press in the oil.
7. When one side is cooked, turn to the other side.
8. Once the bubbles disappear, remove from the oil.Repeat till all the dough is finished.
Notes :
1. I always use a flat tawa made of cast iron which was available only in a few shops earlier. I bought it in a shop in Madurai Pudumandapam, 30 years back. Now it can be got in many of the stores. As it is heavy, it can retain the heat. As it is flat, the oil spreads well.
2. The flat tawa of cast iron, 10 inches in diameter, used by me can cook 4 murukkus at a time.
3. If the mould is filled with the dough once, it can be used twice, each time for 4 murukkus.
4. Before filling the mould with the dough each time, insert the fingers well and free the holes well.
5. For the above measurements, 400 ml. oil is enough and half of the oil is left over.That oil can be reused once for cooking.
6. Hot oil can also be used instead of butter. But butter is the real taste maker and gives a rich taste.
Only those who have tasted this savoury can know what it is.Omam is a Tamil word for Ajwain which is very good for digestion.Omam water is given to children, suffering from indigestion
and gastric problems.
The preparation is very simple and the uniqueness of this savoury is the flavour of Omam.
Ingredients :
1. Besan Flour 1 cup
2. Rice Flour 1/4 cup
3. Salt 1 tsp
4. Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
6. Butter 3 tsp
7. Omam 2 tsp
8. Oil 2 cups
Method :
1. Finely powder the omam in a mixi. Seive the Omam powder. rice flour and the besan flour.
2. Mix all the ingredients well. Add water little by little and prepare the dough.The consistency of the dough is important,neither very rigid nor very loose.
3. Using the murukku mould and the perforated disc ( one used for idiappam ) take 1 tbsp. of dough in the mould, press in the hot oil.
4. As it is of a thin structure, it gets cooked very fast.Turn the side within 30 seconds and remove from oil after the bubbles stop.
5. It takes only about 60 to 90 seconds for one squeezing to get cooked in the oil.The total time taken is only around 20 minutes.
This savoury item was earlier prepared by me using more besan flour and less rice flour.
Later after tasting the pakodas made of more rice flour and less besan flour by my sister in law, Ms. Muthu Lakshmi,I found them to be more crispy and follow her recipe.
Ingredients :
1. Rice Flour 1 cup
2. Besan Flour 3/4 cup
3. Roasted Channa dhal ( Pottu Kadalai ) 3/4 cup
4. Butter 3 tsp
5. Chilly Powder 1/2 tsp
6. Salt 1 tsp
7. Asafoetida 1/8 tsp
8. Oil 2 cups
Method :
1. Powder the the roasted channa dhal finely in a mixi and sieve all the three flours.
2. Mix all the ingredients.Add water and make the dough.This must be of the right consistency,not very rigid and not very loose.It should be little flexible.
3. Using the murukku mould with the disc, meant for ribbon pakoda,press the dough into the hot oil.Turn it and remove from oil once the bubbles stop.This can be prepared within 30 minutes.
Note :
In the picture shown above the pakodas were made using the disc meant for Seepu Seedai.That disc is one of the six discs, sold with the wooden mould for making murukkus.Those wooden moulds could be got only from Karaikudi region in those days.Now they are sold in some of the stores in other cities also.The Pakodas can also be made with common Ribbon Pakoda discs.
This is typically my mom in law's recipe, which I have been following for a long time.She is an expert in cooking.I am always grateful to her for the recipes of the traditional sweets and savouries.
We call this snack as Thenkuzhal to differentiate it from the hand made murukkus where the mould is not used.The rice flour can be home made or bought from the store.The urad dhal has to roasted before powdering.
Ingredients:
1. Rice Flour - 2 cups
2. Urad Dhal Powder - 1/2 cup
3. Butter - 1 tsp.
4. Salt - 1 tsp.
5. Asafoetida - a pinch
6. Seasame or Zeera ( optional ) - 2 tsp.
7. Oil - 2 cups
Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients well, except oil, together.
2. Add water slowly to get the consistency of the chappathy dhal.
3. Heat oil and using the murukku mould, press the murukkus in the oil.
4. when one side is cooked, turn it to the other side.When the bubbles stop, remove from oil.
Notes:
1. It is very important to sieve the rice flour and urad dhal flour.The salt and the sesame or zeera should be free from impurities.Even a small lump in the dough can cause flutters in the oil and make the hot oil to spill out which is quite dangerous.
2. Instead of butter, hot oil can also be added to get crisp murukkus.
3. When we are making for 4 cups of rice flour, the dry flours and the ingredients can be mixed together.But dough has to be prepared only for 2 cups of rice flour plus ingredients.After preparing the murukkus for that dough, the next set of dough has to be made. If the dough is made together for a large quantity,it may become sour,making the murukkus red or brown in colour.
4.My mom in law is very particular to maintain the white colour of the murukkus and at the same time they should also get well cooked in the oil.
