Powder ¼ cup fried gram in a mixer grinder jar. Measure and use only ¼ cup powder for the recipe.

Place a sieve over a large bowl. Measure the flours including the powdered fried gram powder. Add all of them to the sieve. Sieve them together.

Crush cumin seeds in a mortar pestle. Or using a rolling pin crush them on the chopping board. Add it to the flour, along with red chilli powder, sesame seeds and salt. Mix them.

Then heat up 2 tsps oil in a kadai and pour to the flour. Using a spoon mix well. Then use your fingers and incorporate the oil well. Rub the flour well in between your palms to incorporate the oil

This step is optional. Make a fine paste of ginger and chili if using. Add 3 to 4 tbsp water to this and filter it to a bowl. Pour this to the flour.

Pour more water as needed and make a dough that is non sticky but smooth. If the dough is dry then sprinkle more water. If the dough turns sticky, then sprinkle little rice flour. Taste test the dough and add more salt and chilli if you prefer.

Pour oil to a deep fry pan or kadai. Heat it on a medium flame.

Meanwhile grease the mould and fit the ribbon pakoda plate to the mould.

Fill the mould with the prepared dough. Cover the rest of the dough to avoid drying.

Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of the dough in hot oil. The dough has to rise steadily without browning and must not sink.

Press the dough in the hot oil, moving the hand in circular pattern to make a disc of ribbon pakoda.

Fry until golden and crisp on a medium high heat. Keep stirring and fry. Towards the end if you want you may fry them on a low heat for even crispness. Once crisp remove to a steel colander.

Make more ribbon pakoda and fry in batches until all of the dough finishes. Just ensure the oil is just hot enough and not too hot.

Cool ribbon pakoda completely. Break them as desired to pieces and store in a airtight jar.