Mathri Recipe

Mathri is one of the most popular snacks of North India. It is a kind of flaky cookies. I usually prepare mathri during the festival of Karwa Chauth, Holi and Diwali. Mathri can be stored in an air tight container  at room temperature, for about a month.

Mathris are easy to prepare at home. So, you can prepare mathri in bulk and enjoy it for several days.

Ingredients
Maida (All Purpose Flour) - 1 cup
Semolina - 1/2 cup
Ajwain (Carom Seeds) - 1 tsp
Black pepper (crushed) - 1tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Refined Oil for frying

Method

• Sieve the maida and semolina in a bowl.
• Add salt, black pepper and carom seeds in it.  
• Add the oil or ghee. Then, add water (add little water at a time) and knead a soft but a little tight dough.

• Cover the dough with a moist cloth and leave it for 15-20 minutes.
• After 15-20 minutes, uncover the dough. Make several small-sized balls out of that dough and flatten them a little using your palms. Keep them aside.
• Now, with the help of rolling pin, roll them into 2 - 2½ inch circle. Make sure to keep them a little thick (thicker than puri or roti).

• After that, with a fork, prick each mathri several times, so that they do not rise like puris.

• Heat oil in a pan/wok on medium heat. After the oil is heated, fry the mathris till light brown and crisp.

• Mathris are ready to serve.
• Serve them with lemon, chili or mango pickle with tea.

Tips:

• Always prefer to fry the mathri on low to medium heat.
• If you fry mathri on high heat, they will be browned very fast from outside, but they will not get cooked properly from inside.
• You can warm the oil/ghee, then add it to the dough while kneading it. This will make mathri more flaky from inside.