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Mathri
Flaky savoury crackers
मठरी: thick, flaky North Indian crackers of maida short with ghee, ajwain and crushed pepper, fried slowly for the Holi tin
In Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan the Holi tin is never complete without a stack of mathri next to the gujiya. These are thick, rough-edged discs of maida made very short with ghee, flecked with carom seeds and crushed black pepper, and fried slowly over a low flame for nearly twenty minutes until they turn pale gold and crumble into flaky layers. They taste savoury and peppery, a little like a buttery cracker, and they are meant for dipping in hot masala chai or eating with a sliver of mango or lemon pickle. Unlike the papad-thin Gujarati mathiya of moth bean flour, mathri is a sturdy wheat cracker that keeps for a month and travels in every child's luggage back to hostel. Chef's tip: don't knead the dough smooth; just press it together. Over-kneading builds gluten and makes mathri hard instead of flaky.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- 2 tbsp fine semolina (sooji)
- 2 ⅝ oz gheemelted
- 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)crushed between your palms
- 1 ½ tsp black peppercornscoarsely crushed
- 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) (optional)crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup cold waterabout
For frying
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour (maida), 2 tbsp fine semolina (sooji), 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds), two-thirds of the 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and 1 tsp salt in a bowl.
Step 2: Add the melted 2 ⅝ oz ghee and rub it in for 3–4 minutes until a fistful of the flour holds together when squeezed.
4 minStep 3: Add ½ cup cold water a spoon at a time and press the dough together into a stiff, slightly rough ball. Do not knead it smooth. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Divide into 24 pieces. Flatten each into a 5 cm disc about 5 mm thick, press a few of the remaining ½ tsp black peppercorns into the centre and prick 6–7 times with a fork so they don't puff.
Step 5: Heat 3 cups groundnut or sunflower oil, for deep-frying in a kadhai over a medium heat, then lower to low and let it cool to about 275°F, when a piece of dough rises slowly with gentle bubbles.
Step 6: Slide in 8–10 mathri and fry on a low heat for 15–18 minutes, turning every few minutes, until pale golden and the bubbling around them has nearly stopped. Common mistake: hot oil; they blister, brown fast and stay soft and doughy inside.
35 minStep 7: Drain on kitchen paper and cool completely; they crisp further as they cool. Store airtight for up to a month.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mathri take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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