Vegan Barnyard Millet Ribbon Pakoda Recipe

How to make this recipe healthier? Use an oven instead of a frying pan. And, replace oils with whole nuts. That will amp up the nutrient quotient significantly.

Who doesn’t love a good ribbon pakoda? Or a dozen? How about when it’s baked? And oil-free? And made from Barnyard Millet? 😀

The problem with fried food is, well, it are fried. First, we extract oil from a nut or seed, stripping most of the nut’s nutrition. Then, we heat the oil to a high temperature, destroying what little nutrition remains in the oil. Then, we fry something in it, forming disease-causing chemicals. Have you ever tried burning a couple of banana chips? If you haven’t, do try it today. Be sure to hold the chips with a pair of tongs – and place a sheet of paper underneath to catch all the oil that drips from it!

How to make this recipe healthier? Use an oven instead of a frying pan. And, replace oils with whole nuts. That will amp up the nutrient quotient significantly.

However, foods like ribbon pakoda or murukku, even when baked, are cooked at a high temperature and are very dry. Try eating them mindfully, you will find that you do not enjoy them as much as fresh food like fruits or vegetables – or even fresh nuts! Here’s a recipe that takes you closer to health. If you want to go all the way, enjoy a cup of fresh fruits and nuts instead! 🙂

Whole Food Plant Based Barnyard Ribbon Pakoda Recipe

Course: Side Dish for Course 3 (Grain Dishes) at Lunch & Dinner Meals; Snacks
Cuisine: Tamil Recipe from South India
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Servings: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Barnyard Millet Flour
1/2 cup Fresh Toor Dal / Pigeon Peas (alternatively, use peas or potato)
1/2 cup Groundnuts
1/2 cup Flaxseeds
8 tsp Miso Paste (Healthy Salt Alternative. See Nutrition Science Highlights below)
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
1/3 cup Water

INSTRUCTIONS

Barnyard Millet Dough Preparation

1. Grind groundnuts in a mixie without water until you get raw peanut butter. You may need to scrape the sides of the mixie a few times. Use a small jar!
2. Grind flaxseeds to get flaxseed powder.
3. Grind fresh whole pigeon peas or peas or potato to a fine paste.
4. Mix all ingredients together with water and knead well to make a soft dough.

Baking

1. Pre-heat oven to 160 deg C
2. Line a baking tray with unbleached parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Do not apply any oil on the paper or the tray.
3. Use a murukku machine or press machine with long, flat holes to squeeze out long ribbon pakodas on the parchment paper. Be careful not to make too many layers, as they will remain soft. Squeeze single layer for best results.
4. Bake at 180 deg C. Flip once after 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Remove Barnyard Millet Ribbon Pakoda once cooked, but before it turns brown (See Nutrition Science Highlights below for details). It will be ready in about 20 - 30 minutes, depending on the thickness. Once done, Cool down completely and enjoy with a vegetable or nut dip!

Plant Based Chef Pro Tips for Best Barnyard Ribbon Pakoda Recipe

1. This may taste a little drier than fried ribbon pakoda. This is normal.
2. Serve with a watery dip or dish to enjoy barnyard millet ribbon pakoda better!
3. This dough can be used to make murukku or chakli as well. Squeeze it out in a single layer so it gets baked through.

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Barnyard Ribbon Pakoda Recipe

1. Why Miso Paste? Miso paste is fermented & salted soya bean paste. American Heart Association Maximum recommended maximum daily salt intake of 3.75 grams per person to minimise risk of high blood pressure, stomach cancer and chronic kidney disease. In addition to helping us restrict salt intake, replacing salt with miso paste also helps by neutralising the negative effects of salt by soya phytonutrients. You can easily make fresh miso paste at home by mixing 100 grams of cooked soya paste with 10 grams of salt, or 10 tablespoons of cooked soya paste with 1 tablespoon of salt. If making at home, ensure to use immediately, or freeze in batches to use later. Or, simply use 3.75 grams of salt or less per day per person and add 18 to 20 grams (dry weight) of soya beans in any dishes, spread through the day!
2. Why whole grains? Whole grains are healthier than refined grains such as white rice, refined flours, maida, rava, etc., as the bran layer is intact, with all its vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Whole grains have been found to be protective against a whole range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and lifestyle-related cancers.
3. Why cool grains? When cooked grains are allowed to cool on the counter or in the fridge, the starch crystallises to form resistant starch. This can be eaten by our good gut bacteria and also reduces the glycemic index (the rate at which glucose is absorbed), making the whole grain even healthier. For the same reason, parboiled whole grains can be used as well.
4. Why flaxseed powder? Whole grains are super healthy foods, but whole grain flours, not so much. Because of a smaller particle size, the starch from ground up grains gets absorbed much faster than from intact whole grains, causing a glucose spike and insulin spike in the blood. This is why we recommend coarsely ground whole grains as against finely ground whole grains. When we cook dishes using whole grain flours, it is wise to add an ingredient that makes the dish sticky and slows down absorption. Flaxseed is a perfect addition for making rotis. In addition, flaxseed contains high levels of omega 3 fats and cancer-fighting lignans. For the same reason, eating grain flour dishes with pulses and legumes, such as roti and dal, is a great idea too.
5. Why not frying? Oil is a processed food, even if it is cold pressed oil. In whole nuts, the calories from the oil are balanced out with the fiber and nutrients in the nut. For example, peanuts are healthier than peanut oil, sesame seeds are healthier than sesame oil. Hence, a healthy diet excludes oil and includes whole nuts. We can easily achieve a 'fried' effect of different recipes by baking the same dishes instead, like this one!
6. What's wrong with baking? The brown color we get on baking whole grains, tubers, legumes, or nuts is due to the formation of carcinogenic AGE compounds. We can eliminate the formation of these compounds by baking at or below 120 deg C. Up to 160 deg C, the formation of AGEs slower rises, and after that, rises exponentially. It can also be reduced by adding spices and herbs, and in case of breads and cakes, cutting off the crust before serving.