Ribbon Pakkoda: The Crispy Strips Behind Kerala's Favorite Tea-Time Snack
Some Kerala snacks get their identity from a specific ingredient, and some get it almost entirely from their shape. Ribbon pakkoda, also known as pakkavada, is firmly in the second category - the name describes exactly what it looks like: long, flat, ribbon-like strips, pressed directly into hot oil and fried until crisp.
What Goes Into the Dough
The dough combines gram flour (besan) and rice flour with red chilli powder, turmeric, salt, and sometimes a pinch of asafoetida, brought together with a small amount of coconut oil worked in before frying. The gram flour gives it structure and a slightly nutty base flavor, while the rice flour helps the strips crisp up properly rather than turning chewy. Too much rice flour and the strips turn brittle; too much gram flour and they stay slightly soft instead of properly crunchy.
Why the Shape Isn't Just for Looks
The dough is pressed through a flat, ribbon-shaped die directly into hot oil, where it's fried in long coiled strips until golden and crisp. The flat shape, as opposed to the round shape of murukku, means each strip cooks quickly and evenly, giving ribbon pakkoda a lighter, more delicate crunch compared to some of the denser fried Kerala snacks.
Why It Keeps So Much Longer Than Other Snacks
One practical advantage of ribbon pakkoda compared to some other fried Kerala snacks is its shelf life. Because the dough is fried thoroughly and contains very little moisture to begin with, a properly made and packed batch can stay crisp for up to 60 days in an airtight container - considerably longer than a snack like fresh murukku. This makes it a particularly practical choice for shipping internationally or stocking up without worrying about it going stale quickly, and it pairs naturally alongside arimurukku for a spread that covers two different textures in the same tea-time category.
What to Check Before You Buy
Checking the oil used for frying is worth doing, as it is with most traditional Kerala snacks - coconut oil gives a fuller, more authentic flavor compared to a refined vegetable oil, similar to the same check worth making for Kerala banana chips. It's also worth checking that gram flour and rice flour are both listed near the top of the ingredients, rather than one being used mostly as filler behind the other.
FAQ
1. What is ribbon pakkoda made of?
Gram flour and rice flour combined with chilli powder, turmeric, and salt, fried in coconut oil.
2. How long does ribbon pakkoda stay fresh?
Up to 60 days from preparation when stored in an airtight container.
3. Is ribbon pakkoda very spicy?
It has a mild to moderate savory heat, generally less intense than some other traditional Kerala snacks.
