Ribbon Pakoda/Ola Pakoda#Alphabet Challenge

This is another addictive savory snack. Ribbon Pakoda is a snack that I enjoyed in my young age and still love eating it. When my daughter was schooling this was a regular snack that was in her tiffin. This is also called Ola Pakoda in Tamil. During festival eating to many sweets one gets tried, you want something spicy and this snack balances that sweetness. Try this addictive and super easy snack.

Ingredients
2 Cups Chickpea flour / Besan
1 Cup Rice flour
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Teaspoon Red chilly powder - adjust to taste
1 Tablespoon White butter
1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
Oil for deep frying
Method
Sieve the rice flour and besan thrice.
In a bowl mix all the above ingredients together, add water little at a time and knead it into the soft dough.

Make the dough a little soft so that the it can be squeezed easily from the murukku maker. This is plate that is used to make the ribbon / ola pakoda.

Heat oil in a kadai.
Grease the inside of murukku press with oil. Make a ball and put in the murukku press and press it directly in the oil. When they turn light golden brown, flip the side and cook till light golden. Remove pakoda and place it on a tissue paper to drain the excess oil.

Let it cool completely and then store it in an airtight container. Repeat the same for the remaining dough too. You can keep this for a month and enjoy this as a tea time or tiffin snack.

Labels: Savory Snacks, Festival Sweets, Chickpea flour, South Indian, Tamil Nadu, Alphabet Challenge

Let's take a look at the recipes being shared today with Alphabet Challenge 2026 - Alphabet "P"

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Airy Focaccia with Pecorino Romano and Herbs 
• Food Lust People Love: Bacon and Pork Patties 
• Blogghetti: Italian Baked Pork Chops
• Culinary Cam: Orange Posset 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Paloma Cocktail 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Panchmel Dal 
• Sizzling Tastebuds: Paneer Pudinawale (Cottage Cheese in Mint sauce) 
• A Messy Kitchen: Peach and Carrot Streusel Muffins 
• Magical Ingredients: Pina Colada Rolls
• Sneha’s Recipe: Ribbon Pakoda/Ola Pakoda 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Southwestern Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Yogurt Bowl Popsicles   

Corn Patties /Corn Potato Chops#SundayFunday

Corn Potato Chops (patties) are crispy, delicious melt in the mouth savory snack. These are coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried until golden.
Maks 13 Chops
Ingredients
For The Covering / Shell
½ Kg Potatoes - boiled & mashed
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Medium Bread Slices - Lightly soaked and mashed
3 Tablespoons Corn Flour
For The Corn Filling
2 Cups Sweet Corn - boiled
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
1 Teaspoon Chaat Masala
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
Salt To Taste
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves
4 Green chillies
4 Cloves Garlic
Method
For The Corn Filling

Coarsely grind together the coriander leaves, green chillies and garlic along with a cup of sweet corn to a coarse paste. Add this mixture to whole corn and mix well and keep aside.
In a pan heat oil, add cumin seeds when they sizzle, add the onions and saute until translucent, then add the corn mixture along with spices, salt and fry for a few minutes, then cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Stirring in between. Switch off the flame, let this mixture cool completely. 
For The Covering / Shell

In a large plate peel the boiled potatoes and then grate them when they become warm. Mash them with your hands or a potato masher or fork. Let the mashed potatoes cool at room temperature.

Once cooled add the rest of the ingredients well. Form it into a dough. Divide into 13 equal balls, keep aside covered

Making Corn Potato Chops

Grease your palm with oil, flatten one ball of potato mixture, place a tablespoon or more of the corn filling.Bring the edges in the center and cover the stuffing. 

Shape with your palms by rolling it firmly to make around pattice. Make all the rest of the chops.

Roll in crumbs and keep aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a griddle or broad frying pan on medium high flame. Place the stuffed Corn Potato Chops by leaving sufficient space in between so that you flip them easily. Do not over crowd the pan or else they will break. When one side becomes golden and crisp, then turn over gently with a spatula and fry the other side. Fry the second side till crispy golden and turn over again. Flip a couple of times if needed to get an even golden color and crisp texture. Remove them on a paper kitchen towels to remove excess oil.

Serve with ketchup or chutney.
Labels: Corn kernels, Potato Chops, Vegetarian, Starters, Appetizer, Indian,Sunday Funday

For Sunday Funday we are sharing recipes with "Corn"

• Culinary Cam: All the Summer's Darlings Salad 
• Mayuri's Jikoni: Cachapas, Venezuelan Corn Pancakes 
• Sneha's Recipe: Corn Patties /Corn Potato Chops 
• Food Lust People Love: Elotes - Spicy Cheesy Grilled Corn 
• Sid's Sea Palm Cooking: Fresh Corn Relish Salad 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Roasted Corn and Sweet Pepper Chopped Salad with Tomatoes, Black Beans, and Summer Squash 
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Smoked Paprika Cornbread Croutons 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Smoky Southwestern Corn Salad with Chives
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Succotash Salad

Keto Bagel Sandwich#SundayFunday

This is a a classic Keto Bagel Sandwich which can be had for breakfast or as a main course meal. It's filling, delicious and loaded with healthy fats and microgreens.
Ingredients
Keto Cottage Cheese Bagels - recipe to follow
Creamy Avocado & Egg Salad - Keto - chop it very fine

Microgreens 
Method

Cut the bagel, add the filling, top it with microgreens. Enjoy!!
Labels: Sunday Funday, Sandwiches, Bagels, Keto, Low Carb, Breakfast, Main course, International Cuisine

For Sunday Funday we are celebrating "National BagelFest Day"

Boursin and Salmon Bagel from A Day in the Life on the Farm 

Caprese Bagel from Mayuri's Jikoni

Chorizo Cream Cheese Spread from Food Lust People Love 

Keto Bagel Sandwich from Sneha's Recipe 

Pretzel Bagels from Karen's Kitchen Stories 

The Bagel Conflict and My Left Coast Bagels from Culinary Cam

Okra / Bhendi Sabzi #AlphabetChallenge

Ingredients

250 Grams Bhendi/Okra
1 Medium Tomato - chopped
1 Medium Onion - chopped
A Sprig Currry leaves
2 Tablespoons Oil
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Teaspoon Garlic & Ginger paste
1 Teaspoon Vindaloo masala
Salt to taste
¼ Teaspoon Garam Masala powder


Method
Wash the bhendi well. Dry them well using kitchen towel or paper towel. Cut off both ends (head and tail part). And chop them into pieces.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle a bit add the curry leaves, chopped onions and fry till transculent, add ginger garlic paste fry well. Then add chopped tomato, vindaloo masala and fry well. Then add the chopped bhendi and salt mix well so that all the masala gets coated with bhendi. Cover it and let it cook. Stir in between. When you cook bhendi by covering the pan with lid, you will get softer texture. Then add garam masala powder. Mix it well. 

Serve hot with roti/ phulka / paratha, dal/rice.
Labels: Bhendi, Okra, Alphabet Challenge,Vegan,Gluten free, Vegetarian,Indian

Let's take a look at the recipes being shared today with Alphabet Challenge 2026 - Alphabet "O" 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Apple Cider Old Fashioned
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: BBQ Deviled Eggs with Crispy Fried Onions 
•  Messy Kitchen: Gumbo-laya Stew 
• Sneha's Recipe: Okra / Bhendi Sabzi
• Food Lust People Love: Marinated Apéro Olives 
• Culinary Cam: Olive Oil-Cured Chevre-Filled Cigarillos 
• Sizzling Tastebuds: Onion and Olive Oil Focaccia with Sea Salt 
• Magical Ingredients: Onion Swirls
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Orange Blueberry Waffles 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Pumpkin Olan   
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Rhubarb and Strawberry Baked Oatmeal  

Madeira Cake#SundayFunday

Madeira cake is a traditional and simple British style cake that gets it's name from the Madeira wine, a wine sourced from Portugal with which this cake was served. This cake is flavoured with lemon and sliced almonds.
Ingredients
175 Grams Butter
125 Grams Caster sugar
1 Teaspoon Lemon zest
¾ Cup Self Raising Flour
¾ Cup All Purpose Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking powder
3 Eggs
½ Cup Sliced Almonds
4 Tablespoons Milk
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
Method

Sieve both the flours and baking powder together.
Beat butter and sugar till light and creamy. Add lemon rind. Start adding eggs one at a time and continue beating till the all the eggs are incorporated. Add essence and whisk again, then add flour and a tablespoon of milk and continue beating till the flour and milk is incorporated, add half the sliced almonds and lightly mix it. Pour this mixture into a greased and lined baking tray, sprinkle the remaining slcied almonds. Bake in a preheated oven @180°C for 35 to 40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Cool and slice... enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.   

My Notes 
Made a small round cake from this batter to for us to have for tea.
Labels: Cakes, United Kingdom, Almond, Sunday Funday

For Sunday Funday we are sharing recipes of "Cakes Around The World"

• Apple pola by Mildly Indian
• Carlota De Limon by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• From Mödling to the Monterey Peninsula: Topfen-Obers-Torte by Culinary Cam
• Kirsebærkage - Danish Cherry Cake by Food Lust People Love
• Kyiv Cake by A Messy Kitchen
• Madeira Cake by Sneha's Recipe
• Persian Love Cake by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Taiwanese Castella Cake by Karen's Kitchen Stories

American Parker House Rolls#BreadBakers

This Parker House Rolls are soft, buttery, fluffy and delicious. They are so light and easy to make and can be easily made ahead of time. The recipe for Parker House Rolls first started appearing in cookbooks in the 1880s.

For Bread Bakers this month our theme is American Breads, decided to try these rolls, there is no difference in preparing the dough - just as we make any other dinner rolls, only difference is in the shaping method.

These dinner rolls are made by flattening the center of a ball of dough with a rolling pin or skewer, then folding the dough in half and the folding of dough on itself while shaping the rolls.

The top of the dough is brushed with butter which gives a nice rich and buttery flavor to the parker house rolls. My tip - I have made these roll small, would suggest that they should be made a little bigger. These a really good to make sandwiches too.

Ingredients
350 Grams All Purpose Flour
135 Ml Milk
1½ Teaspoon Instant Yeast
35 Grams Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
50 Grams Butter
1 Large Egg
Method
In to a bowl add in the lukewarm milk, yeast, sugar, salt and egg. Combine them together. Then add in the butter (preferably softened, at room temperature which is easy to blend).Now add the flour into this and combine everything together.

Now transfer the dough on to a clean work surface and we need to knead the dough until it forms a smooth and elastic dough.
Keep the well kneaded dough on the counter and cover it with a bowl. Let the dough sit and relax for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes this dough doubled in size.

After 30 minutes of resting the dough, place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough using a rolling pin into an approximate square shape of 11 inches x 11 inches x ½ inch thick. So that the sheet has a thickness of ½ inch.

Brush the top of dough with softened butter or melted butter.
Divide it into equal pieces. The more similar they are in size, the more even they will get baked).

Now take a toothpick and make a light indent in the center.

Fold the dough on to itself, to ¾ of the length as shown above.

Place the rolls on the prepared baking tray (greased or lined with parchment paper) with the smooth surface on top. This will prevent the rolls from unfolding while they proof and bake.

Cover the dinner rolls with a plastic film and let them rise until they puff up really well. 

Bake the dinner rolls at 180°C with both elements on for 15-18 minutes. The baking duration may vary according to the size of the rolls. Bigger rolls will take longer and smaller rolls will get baked in less time.Brush them with butter as soon as they are out of the oven.

Enjoy the softest fluffiest, buttery Parker House Rolls! 

Labels: American, Dinner Rolls, Egg, Breads,Bread Bakers, International Cuisine

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.
For Bread Bakers this month we sharing "American Bread Recipes"

• All American Batter Bread with Discard from A Messy Kitchen
• American Parker House Rolls from Sneha's Recipe
• Mount Vernon Breakfast Gems from Food Lust People Love
• Spoon Rolls from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Keto Roasted Cauliflower Mac & Cheese#SundayFunday

I, can eat this delicious Roasted Cauliflower Mac & Cheese probably every other day. Easy and delicious side dish. It is perfect with any protein or on its own.
Ingredients
To Roast The Cauliflower
1 Large Cauliflower Head - See Notes
Salt, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
For The Sauce
2 Tablespoons Butter
Salt To Taste
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper Powder or Red Pepper Flakes
1/3 Cup Roasted Tomato sauce
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream or Fresh Cream
½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

For The Topping
¼ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese 
A Drizzle Olive Oil
¼ Teaspoon Dried Parsley 
Method

Wash and separate cauliflower into bite-size pieces.
Season with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil.
Toss it to coat then cook in the air fryer at 180°C for 16-17 minutes or roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200°C. Make sure that the cauliflower is in one layer on the baking sheet. 
To Make The Sauce

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, Add the turmeric and tomato sauce, bring this to a simmer.
Gradually add  cream, stirring until well-mixed, add seasoning; turmeric, salt, and pepper.
Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until it begins to slightly thicken. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Add cheese, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and well blended.
The sauce will start to thicken as it cools. Now, taste it and add salt according to your taste. 
Now add the roasted cauliflower mix it well so that cauliflower is coated with the sauce.

Pour this into a baking dish spread the cheese over it, 

then add a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of dried or fresh parsley. 

Bake it in a preheated oven in @ 180°C till the cheese melts. The cauliflower does not release any water as they are roasted taste like real mac & cheese.

Serve when still hot, Enjoy!!
My Notes
The cauliflower florets measured around 7 cups. 

Labels: Keto, Roasted Cauliflower, Pasta, Sunday Funday, Low Carb, Side Dish, Gluten Free, Cheese, International Cuisine

For Sunday Funday we are sharing Macaroni & Cheese Recipes

• Baked Penne and Cheese bA Messy Kitchen
• Cauliflower Spinach Mac and Cheese by Food Lust People Love
• Gruyére and Emmentaler Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Sourdough by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Instant Pot Chicken Mac and Cheese by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Keto Roasted Cauliflower Mac & Cheese by Sneha's Recipe
• Pesto Mac by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Spicy Cheezy Orzo by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Suya/Grilled Beef Skewers#EatTheWorld

Sierra Leone-style beef skewers (also known locally as Kebab or Suya). Suya is tender beef threaded on a skewer and then baked or grilled to perfection in a tantalizing spicy peanut sauce. Suya, a very spicy street food that's popular in western Africa.

This is my take on Suya, grilled beef skewers from West Africa. Sirloin steak is marinated in a quick and easy marinade that is extremely delicious and perfect for cooking on the grill. They’re ideal for snacks, summer picnics, or even a main or side dish.

Serves 8

Ingredients
1 Cup Salted Roasted Peanuts - skinned
1 Tablespoon Paprika powder
2 Teaspoons Onion powder
2 Teaspoons Ginger powder
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
1 Teaspoon Garlic powder
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
1 Teaspoon All Spice Powder
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
1 Kg Beef Undercut /Sirloin Steak- cut into 2 inch cubes
Method
Place peanuts in a food processor, process until it starts to become a paste. Add paprika, onion powder, ginger, pepper flakes and garlic powder, pulse until combined.

Pat dry the beef with a kitchen towel to remove any moisture.
Place beef in a large bowl or shallow dish. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Add peanut mixture and tomato paste mix well and toss so that each cube of meat is coated with the spice mix. Refrigerate, covered, for 2 hours or overnight.
Soak the skewers totally submerged in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning. Drain beef, discarding marinade.

Thread beef onto wooden skewers. 

Grill, covered, over medium-high heat until beef reaches desired doneness, 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally. 

Garnish beef skewers with sliced onions, lime wedges, green onions, chopped coriander leaves, and chopped peanuts if desired.

Labels: Keto, Low Carb, Beef, Steaks, African, Sierra Leone, International Cuisine, Side Dish
Check out all the wonderful Andorrian recipes prepared by fellow Eat the World members. Find out how to join Eat the World here and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
For Eat The World this month we are sharing recipes of "Sierra Leone"

• Ginger Beer by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Gluten-Free Sierra Leonean Ginger Cake by Culinary Cam
• Suya, Grilled Beef Skewers by Sneha's Recipe