Pakkavada / Ribbon pakoda

Ingredients

1. Kadala mavu (Besan flour) - 1 cup
2. Rice flour - 1/2 cup
3. Asafoetida - 1 tsp
4. Red chilli powder - 3/4 tbsp
5. Curry leaves - 1 springs
6. Salt
7. Oil
8. Water - 0.5 cup

Procedure

1. Mix besan flour, rice flour, asafoetida, red chilli powder  and salt into a soft dough by adding water little by little. The consistency should be like idiyappam dough. 
2. Divide the dough into two parts.
3. Push the dough into an idiyappam maker. Use the pakkavada mould so that when idiyappam maker is squeezed or rotated (depending on the type of the maker), the dough comes out in ribbon shape.
4. Heat oil in a deep pan.
5. When the oil is hot, drop a small piece of dough. If the dough rises up the oil quickly then the oil is of the right temperature.
6. Push the dough into the oil in circular motion. Be very carefully in this step when the dough is dropped into the hot oil. 
7. Wait for few minutes for one side to fry. Then flip over the dough to the other side.
8. Once both sides are cooked i.e. when both sides have turned brown, transfer the pakkavada into plate lined with kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.
9. Fry curry leaves in the same oil after removing the pakkavada. When the curry leaves are dropped in the oil, hot oil may splutter. So, be very careful.
10. Break the pakkavada and mix the fried curry leaves with it.
11. Store it in an air tight container. 
12. Yummy Pakkavada is ready to be served with hot tea / coffee.