Then we would all sit down for breakfast. Most of India celebrates Diwali in more exuberant manner. Diwali is a three or four day affair in some parts of India. Some people visit family and friends, exchange gifts, sweets and savouries. Goa celebrates by making huge effigies of the demon Narakasura and burning it down in the early hours of Diwali morning. This signifies triumph of good over evil.
For us, Diwali is all about breakfast. We sit down to Dosai (savoury lentil and rice pancakes) with Sambhar and Chutney, and Mysorepak and Pokkuvadam of course. I usually also make Ukkarai (a lentil-jaggery crumble), my personal Diwali tradition. There’s normally a temple visit during the morning or the evening. Then we’re done with Diwali when left over crackers from the morning are burnt at sundown.
For us, Diwali is all about breakfast. We sit down to Dosai (savoury lentil and rice pancakes) with Sambhar and Chutney, and Mysorepak and Pokkuvadam of course. I usually also make Ukkarai (a lentil-jaggery crumble), my personal Diwali tradition. There’s normally a temple visit during the morning or the evening. Then we’re done with Diwali when left over crackers from the morning are burnt at sundown.
Diwali Sweets and Savouries
Pokkuvadam or Ribbon Pakoda
Ingredients
- 2 cups fine rice powder sieved
- 1 cup chickpea flour besan, sieved
- 1/2 cup Bengal gram dalia/ pottukadalai
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp asafetida powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder or to taste
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Pan roast/ toast the Bengal gram (dalia/ pottukadalai) till it just starts changing colour and gives off an aroma. Let it cool and grind to a fine powder in a blender.
- Put all the ingredients, except the oil in a largish bowl. Add enough water to knead into a somewhat stiff but pliable dough.
- Heat the oil for frying, in a lagish wok or pan. Fit the dough press with the plate for making Pokkuvadam. Pinch off as much off the dough you can fill into the press comfortably and close the press. Check if the oil is hot enough. It should be neither too hot but hot enough. If you drop a small bit of the dough into the oil, it will bubble and rise up if the oil is ready. If the oil isn’t hot enough the Pokkuvadam will absorb oil and become greasy.
- Press the dough out into the hot oil in a circular motion for a couple of circles, it spreads and cooks well. Fry till golden brown on both sides and crisp. Drain on paper towels, cool and break up into smaller pieces. Store in airtight containers.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
What fantastic recipes they sound beautiful. Your picture looks amazing I bet you had a lovely time. 🙂
Thanks again, Jeena.
Aparna, love those sweets…hope you enjoyed the festival…nice to know about your kind of celebration .
great recipes and a lovely dish that you served it in!
Thanks for the appreciation, Sunita and Mansi
Hey, I made Mysore Pak for Diwali for the first time using your recipe.It was great. Thanks a lot. I have posted the recipe on my blog. Please feel free to check it and leave comments.Happy Diwali and happy cooking!!
I’m glad the Mysorepak turned out well, Sanhita.Happy Diwali.
Dear Aparna, your delicious-sounding coconut-carrot burfi is something I’d like to try making. I’ve made coconut-cardamom burfi a couple of times already – very addictive!(Perhaps you saw my funny Murukku in Daring Bakers?)
I tried your mysore pak and it dissappointed me soooo badly.. the water qty was sooo less because of which the whole thing dried up and besan was not cooked well!!!Pure waste of my precious Ghee 🙁
Hi Happy Baker,Its sad that my recipe didn’t work for you. I’m not sure what went wrong as I have been using this recipe for the last 15 years and its worked everytime for me.Another blogger has left a comment here saying it worked for her.All I can think of is that perhaps you were expecting a more soft mysorepak that is usually found in the shops. My recipe doesn’t make that but a drier version. And you have to work on a medium to low heat throughtout.As for the uncooked besan, that has me puzzled!
I know why Happy Baker’s Mysore Pak did not turn out well. The gram flour has to be dry-roasted before you add it to the sugar syrup. If you don’t do that, it will sure end up in a disastrous mass of wasted ingredients!Also, just so you know: Cardamom is never used to Mysore Pak.
Anon, there are people who dry-roast the gram flour before making mysorepak, and there are those who don’t.Its just a preference and does not affect the outcome. There are also different types of mysorepak as far as the amount of ghee, taste and texture goes depending on who is making it.I have used the above recipe (and my mother and grandmother before me) and it has never failed us so far.As for waste, that does happen sometimes when recipes do not work which is why one should always scale down recipes for a first time effort!Again, you might realise that adding cardamom or not to mysorepak, is also a preference and I always do. Thanks for enlightening me!
HiTried the pokkuvadam for krishna jayanthi. Came out very well. Thankyou. I never used to get pokkuvadam taste this good and crunchy with my previous recipes.
Geeta, happy to know my recipe worked for you. I remember my mother telling me that its the butter that makes the pokkuvadam nice and crunchy.Thanks for getting back to me.