How to Make Ribbon Pakoda, Thattai and Mixture at Home: Spice Measurements and Common Mistakes

Who else remembers the brass murukku acchu coming down from the top shelf a week before Deepavali?

In our house it meant one thing. The kids got jobs. Mine was spreading a wet veshti on the floor and laying out thattai balls in neat rows, while Athai flattened them with her thumb faster than I could count. Periyamma stood guard at the vaanali with a jalli karandi, scooping out golden ribbons of pakoda and dropping them into a steel basin. Any piece that broke was "odanja piece", which meant it legally belonged to whoever was standing closest. That was always me.

The recipes below are the ones those afternoons were built on, with exact spice measurements and the mistakes that turn crisp palagaram into a soggy, oily heap.

Before you switch on the stove

Patti checked three things before frying a single batch.

• Flour · Fine, dry rice flour. If it feels coarse or damp, sieve it and dry roast it on low heat for 3 minutes, then cool fully.
• Oil · Fresh oil, enough to float the snacks. Groundnut oil gives the classic taste.
• Dabba · Clean, completely dry steel or glass containers waiting nearby. Snacks go in only after they cool down fully.

Ribbon Pakoda, the crunchy flat ribbons

Makes about 500 g.

• 2 cups rice flour (arisi maavu)
• 1 cup besan (kadalai maavu)
• 1 tsp Darling Masala's Red Chilli Powder
• ¼ tsp Darling Masala's Asafoetida Powder, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp ellu (white sesame), optional
• 2 tbsp softened butter or 2 tbsp hot oil
• 1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
• Water as needed

1. Mix the flours, chilli powder, salt and sesame. Rub in the butter until the flour feels like wet sand.
2. Add the asafoetida water, then sprinkle water little by little to get a soft, smooth dough. It should not stick to your palm.
3. Fit the ribbon plate (the one with two flat slits) into the acchu and fill it halfway.
4. Press long ribbons straight into medium-hot oil. Fry until the loud sizzle quietens and the ribbons turn pale gold, about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Drain on a steel plate lined with paper, break into finger-length pieces and cool completely.

Thattai, the crisp, patted discs

Makes about 30 pieces.

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 tbsp urad dal, dry roasted and powdered
• 1 tbsp pottukadalai (roasted gram), powdered
• 1 tbsp chana dal, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
• 1 tbsp ellu
• ¾ tsp Darling Masala's Red Chilli Powder
• ¼ tsp Darling Masala's Asafoetida Powder
• 1 tbsp softened butter
• A sprig of curry leaves, torn small
• ¾ tsp salt, water as needed

Mix everything into a firm dough, firmer than chapathi dough. Pinch lemon-sized balls and press each one thinly on a greased banana leaf or plastic sheet. Prick each disc 4 or 5 times with a fork. Slide them into medium-hot oil and fry until the bubbles around them slow down, roughly 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Fun fact · The name thattai comes from "thattu", to pat. Andhra kitchens call a close cousin chekkalu, and Karnataka has its own version called nippattu.

Mixture, the festive all-in-one

Makes about 750 g. Mixture is three snacks in one tin, so cook each part separately and combine them at the end.

Omapodi (thin sev)

• 1 cup besan and ¼ cup rice flour
• ½ tsp omam (ajwain), soaked in ¼ cup water, ground and strained
• A pinch of Darling Masala's Asafoetida Powder, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp hot oil

Make a soft dough with the omam water, press through the finest acchu plate and fry for about 1 minute. Omapodi browns fast, so pull it out while it is still pale.

Kaara boondi

• 1 cup besan and 2 tbsp rice flour
• ½ tsp Darling Masala's Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp salt
• Water for a smooth pouring batter

Tap the batter through a boondi karandi held over the oil. Fry until crisp and the bubbling stops.

The final toss

• ½ cup peanuts and ¼ cup cashews, fried
• ½ cup pottukadalai
• 10 garlic cloves, crushed with skin and fried
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, fried until crisp
• ½ tsp Darling Masala's Red Chilli Powder, ¼ tsp Darling Masala's Asafoetida Powder, salt to taste

Crush the omapodi lightly into a large basin, add the boondi and every other fried bit, then sprinkle chilli powder, asafoetida and salt while the mix is still warm. Warm snacks hold the masala. Cold ones let it slide to the bottom of the tin.

Spice ratio cheat sheet

Save this on your phone or stick it inside the masala dabba lid.

The mistakes that ruin a batch, and how to fix them

Did you know? India uses a huge share of the world's hing, yet for decades every gram was imported. Around 1,200 tonnes of raw asafoetida come in each year, mostly from Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan. In 2020, CSIR scientists planted the first asafoetida seedlings in Lahaul valley, Himachal Pradesh, as the country's first cultivation effort, as reported by the Press Information Bureau.

Oil after the frying is done

A Deepavali kitchen runs through litres of oil. FSSAI suggests avoiding repeated reuse and discarding oil once it turns dark, foamy or gives off blue-grey smoke. At home, strain once-used oil and finish it in a day or two for kulambu or poriyal. 

Quick quiz · Are you ready to man the acchu?

1. Why do we prick thattai before frying? (a) To stop them puffing up (b) For decoration
2. How do you know the oil is ready? (a) A pinch of dough rises in 2 to 3 seconds (b) The oil starts smoking
3. When should the masala go on the mixture? (a) While the fried bits are still warm (b) After they are packed

Answers · 1 (a), 2 (a), 3 (a). All three, right? Athai would hand you the acchu without a second thought.

Darling Masala’s pick for your palagaram

Darling Masala's Asafoetida Powder is the quiet hero of South Indian snacks. A small pinch rounds off the raw edge of besan and makes thattai and pakoda easier on the stomach after a heavy festive lunch. The 50g pack is currently on Buy 1 Get 1, and you can find more offers in our Buy 1 Get 1 collection. Prefer the traditional route? Grate Darling Masala's Asafoetida Block the way Patti did, and stock up on Darling Masala's Red Chilli Powder, Darling Masala's Turmeric Powder and Darling Masala's Coriander Powder from our pure spices range.

Conclusion

Crisp palagaram comes down to a handful of habits. Use dry flour and the right amount of butter, keep the oil at a steady medium heat, and be patient while the snacks cool. Get those right, and your ribbon pakoda, thattai and mixture will stay crunchy in the dabba well past Deepavali.

Make a double batch this year. One dabba for your family, one for the neighbour who always sends back the plate filled with her own murukku.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use store-bought rice flour for murukku and thattai?

Yes. Pick fine, dry rice flour, sieve it, and dry roast it lightly for 3 minutes before using.

2. Why does my ribbon pakoda break while pressing?

The dough is too dry. Sprinkle a spoon of water, knead again, and keep the dough covered so it does not dry out.

3. Why do my snacks absorb so much oil?

Too much butter in the dough or oil that is not hot enough. Keep butter to about 1 tbsp per cup of rice flour, and test the oil before each batch.

4. Which oil is best for frying Deepavali snacks?

Groundnut oil gives the traditional taste. Sunflower or rice bran oil also works for a lighter flavour.

5. How do I stop thattai from puffing up?

Press each disc thin and prick it 4 or 5 times with a fork before frying.

6. Can I make ribbon pakoda without butter?

Yes. Use 2 tbsp hot oil in place of butter. The texture turns slightly less flaky but stays crisp.

7. Why does asafoetida matter in these snacks?

A small pinch of Darling Masala's Asafoetida Powder rounds off the raw taste of besan and helps digestion after heavy fried food. Dissolve it in water first so it spreads evenly.

8. How long do ribbon pakoda, thattai and mixture stay fresh?

In an airtight tin at room temperature, ribbon pakoda and thattai keep for about 15 to 20 days. The mixture keeps around 10 to 14 days because of the peanuts and garlic.

9. Can I make mixture without peanuts for guests with allergies?

Yes. Leave out peanuts and cashews and add more pottukadalai, fried curry leaves and boondi.

10. How do I make my snacks crisp again after they go soft?

Warm them in a dry kadai on low heat for 2 minutes, then cool completely before storing.