Ribbon Pakoda

Ingredients:

1. Chickpea flour/Besan - 1 cup
2. Fine rice powder - 1 cup
3. Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tablespoon
4. Fennel seeds/Saunf - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
6. Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
7. Curry leaves - 1-2 sprig
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Use a pestle and mortar or a small mixie jar to powder the fennel seeds. You can alternatively use fennel powder if you have that in hand.
2. Take a large mixing bowl and mix together chickpea powder, rice powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder, asafoetida, and salt. 
3. Add water a little at a time and mix together to make a smooth dough(like a chapathi dough).
4. Grease the inside of the mold and use the ribbon pakkoda plate. See the picture below.
5. Fill the dough in the mold and squeeze it directly into the hot oil. 
6. Turn it a couple of times and remove it from the oil when it turns golden brown in color. 
7. Repeat for the rest of the dough.
8. Wash and dry the curry leaves. Fry them in the same oil and mix it with ribbon pakoda.
9. Break the ribbon pakoda into smaller pieces. 
10. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea.

Note:

1. These can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for more than a week. 
2. I prefer to use coconut oil to get the authentic Kerala snack taste. But you can use any vegetable oil for deep frying.  

Mold with Ribbon Pakoda plate

Dry fruits Laddoo

Dry fruit laddoos are sugar free and contain dates as sweeting agent. These can be eaten guilt free during this festival season. I have added almonds and pumpkin seeds in this recipe. But I think you can include any other combinations of nuts as per your choice and likings. I have roasted the nuts in ghee which is an optional step. You can totally avoid it if you want to make this vegan.

They are very easy to make and can be prepared in less than 15 minutes. Try to make this dish during this diwali season and let me know your opinions in the comments section.

Ingredients:

1. Dates - 1 cup

2. Almonds - 1/2 cup

3. Pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup

4. Ghee - 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Remove the seeds from dates and set aside. 

2. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a wide pan. 

3. Roast almonds and pumpkin seeds for couple of minutes and set aside.

4. In the same pan, roast dates for a minute. 

5. Let the dates and dry fruits cool to room temperature.

6. First grind the dates in a mixer-grinder. Then add almonds and pumpkin seeds to dates paste and grind them all together.

7. Make small roundels and dry fruits laddoos are ready to eat.

"Shhhhh Cooking Secretly" is a monthly challenge in the Facebook group. At the beginning of the month, a theme is chosen by one of the participants and all the participants are grouped in pairs. The participants will exchange 2 secret ingredients with their partners who are supposed to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month.

This month's theme is "DIWALI DHAMAKA" and it was chosen by admins Renu and Mayuri ji. Mayuri ji made a mouth watering Kalakand with cottage cheese. Renu made a easy milk powder chocolate ladoo which I think my kids would love it. 

My partner for Oct 2021 is Sasmita. She gave me pumpkin seeds and dates as my secret ingredients. I gave her chhena and cardamom as her ingredients. She made a traditional Odia sweet dish - Chhena Jhili. Her photography is spot on and please do visit her blog to see a huge  collection of Odia dishes.