Another delicious savory recipe made for Deepavali is Ribbon Pakoda. As the name suggests, this is a savory snack deep fried in oil - meaning pakoda and as it is in thick ribbons, it is called ribbon pakoda. Along with murukku, Amma always prepared a big batch of Ribbon Pakodi. After the strenuous work of making murukkus, pressing ribbons of dough is not so difficult. With a big family setting, this also means that you get to make a nice batch of snack in lesser time.

I was all set to make the traditional Ribbon Pakoda this year for Diwali. It is usually made with Besan/Gram Flour. But then, the universe conspired me into making some amazing corn ribbon pakoda. Ok, not so much universe as it was my husband. But but.. he is my universe. Err.. Ok I will stop now 😀

Few days back, husband brought home a pack of special Makai Chips from a North Indian store or the Indian style Corn Nachos. Those makai chips were absolutely brilliant so I decided to look for a recipe only to find that there is no such thing! So, the husband challenged me to break down the ingredients and make it myself. And that exactly was what I did. To say that these were a great success would be an understatement. I used store bought maize flour and loved the subtle corn/popcorny taste in these Ribbon Pakodas!

How to make Corn Ribbon Pakoda Recipe

📖 Recipe

Corn Ribbon Pakoda Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

  1. In a bowl add maize flour, besan/gram flour, rice flour, salt, red chilli powder and hot oil. Mix everything together. Add water as needed and knead into a soft yet firm dough.

  2. Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying. Take a ball of dough and set it in the murukku press with the ribbon plate. Once the oil is hot, set it on medium flame and press the dough into hot oil. Fry until golden brown (when the oil stops bubbling) and remove onto a paper towel. Repeat the process with rest of the dough.

  3. Store in an air tight container for up to a week or ten days.

Recipe Notes

I used store bought maize flour that was very fine and smooth. Homemade flour if available can be used. Rice flour gives a crispness to the ribbon pakoda. Besan/Gram Flour helps in binding – I have not tried this recipe with just maize flour. Adjust red chilli powder as per spiciness required. Don’t crowd the oil but fry in batches. The pakoda turns crispier once removed from oil. It also changes color ever so slightly, so don’t fry once past the golden brown stage.