Mathri, also known as Mathiya or Mathi, is a popular snack in North India. It is crispy and flaky deep-fried snacks made using all-purpose flour, Besan(chickpea flour), Sooji, Whole wheat flour (Atta), Ghee, and some freshly ground spices.
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Diwali is around the corner and I have started making snacks and sweets. So far I have made Chakli, Gujia, Shankarpali, Mawa for sweets, Dal Moth, Oats papad chivda, and Badusha and have planned a couple of more Diwali special dishes. So stay tuned…. 🙂
Today I am sharing this crispy and flaky salted crackers recipe which is called Mathri or Mathi.
This recipe is generally prepared upon during festivals like Karwa Chauth and Diwali. But we make this recipe around the year.
This is a perfect tea-time snack. I prefer to eat with Pickle too.
There are many ways of making it.
This time I have made Punjabi style Mathri which is spiced with Cumin seeds, Coriander seeds, Black pepper, fennel seeds, and Kasuri methi.
The texture of this snack should be not too soft or not too hard. It should be crispy yet should melt in the mouth. A good amount of fat is the key to its texture.
Just like any other deep-fried snack, this has a very good shelf life and can be stored for many weeks. This is a very filling snack and because of its good shelf life, this is a perfect snack to carry while traveling.
What are the ingredients needed to make this Methi Mathri?
- All-purpose flour (Maida)
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Besan (Chickpea Flour)
- Semolina (Sooji)
- Cumin seeds
- Black pepper
- Coriander seeds
- Fennel Seeds
- Kasuri Methi
- Salt to taste
- Ghee
- Oil For Frying
- Water
Step by step process of making Mathri –
Step – 1 Grinding Whole spices
Take Cumin seeds, Black Pepper, Fennel Seeds, and Coriander seeds in a jar. Make a coarse powder. Keep it aside. (photo 1 to 6)
Step -2 Mixing Dough
Take maida, besan, whole wheat flour, sooji, salt, Kasuri methi, Prepared coarse powder, and Ghee in a big mixing bowl. (photo 7 to 11)
Mix everything well and rub the ghee in the flour with your fingertips. The whole mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. The more you rub, the better the texture the mathris will have.
Add water little by little and knead the tight and stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes. (Photo 12 to 15)
Step 3 – Rolling Mathri
Divide the dough into 25 equal balls. (Photo 16)
Take a ball, press them between your palms to even them. Keep the balls covered so that they do not dry out.
Flatten each ball between your palms or with a rolling pin to medium thickness. (Refer video) (Photo 17 and 18)
Prick each mathri with a fork. (Photo 20)
Step – 4 Frying the Mathris
Heat the oil on medium heat.
Fry mathris in a small batch in oil on low to medium heat until they are crisp and golden from both sides. (Photo 21)
Take them out on a paper towel. Let them cool down completely.
Notes, Pro-tips and quick FAQ
- You can use oil instead of ghee.
- The dough should be stiff and tight.
- For flaky texture, rubbing the flour and ghee between fingers is a VERY important step.
- Use melted ghee only.
- Frying on a low to medium heat plays a major role to get perfect results. To check if the oil is done or not, follow these steps –
- Drop a small piece of dough and if comes to the surface gradually, the oil is perfect.
- If it comes too quickly, then the oil is very hot and the mathris will brown from outside but remain uncooked from inside.
- If it comes slowly, then the oil is cold. In this case, the mathris would absorb a lot of oil and become dense.
- You can decrease or increase the spices according to your taste.
If you are planning to bake Mathri, Add 2 tablespoon more Ghee or oil.
Preheat the oven @340 degrees F. Line them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake them for 10 minutes, flip them and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the mathri are nicely browned. Baking time may vary from oven to oven and thickness of mathris.
Store this in an airtight container. Mathri will stay good for up to a month. (Maybe more than that)
Some More Snack Recipes
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Punjabi Masala Methi Mathri
Ingredients
- 1 cup – All-purpose flour Maida
- ½ cup – Whole Wheat Flour
- ½ cup – Besan Chickpea Flour
- ¼ cup – Semolina Sooji
- 1 teaspoon – Cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon – Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon – Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon – Fennel Seeds
- 1.5 tablespoon – Kasuri Methi
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup +1 tablespoon – Ghee
- Oil For Frying
- ¾ cup – Water Or as needed
Instructions
Step – 1 Grinding Whole spices
- Take Cumin seeds, Black Pepper, Fennel Seeds and Coriander seeds in a jar. Make a coarse powder. Keep it aside.
Step -2 Mixing Dough
- Take maida, besan, whole wheat flour, sooji, salt, Kasuri methi, Prepared coarse powder and Ghee in a big mixing bowl.
- Mix everything well and rub the ghee in the flour with your fingertips. The whole mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. The more you rub, the better the texture the mathris will have.
- Add water little by little and knead the tight and stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Step 3 – Rolling Mathri
- Divide the dough into 25 equal balls.
- Take a ball, press them between your palms to even them. Keep the balls covered so that they do not dry out.
- Flatten each ball between your palms or with a rolling pin to medium thickness. (Refer video)
- Prick each mathri with a fork.
Step – 4 Frying the Mathris
- Heat the oil on medium heat.
- Fry mathris in small batch in oil on a low to medium heat until they crisp and golden from both sides.
- Take them out on a paper towel. Let them cool down completely.
Step – 5 Storing Mathris
- Store this an airtight container. Mathri will stay good for up to a month. (Maybe more than that)
Video
Notes
- You can use oil instead of ghee.
- The dough should be stiff and tight.
- For flaky texture, rubbing the flour and ghee between fingers is a VERY important step.
- Use melted ghee only.
- Frying on a low to medium heat plays a major role to get perfect results. To check if the oil is done or not, follow these steps –
- Drop a small piece of dough and if comes to the surface gradually, the oil is perfect.
- If it comes too quickly, then the oil is very hot and the mathris will brown from outside but remain uncooked from inside.
- If it comes slowly, then the oil is cold. In this case, the mathris would absorb a lot of oil and become dense.
You can decrease or increase the spices according to your taste.
How to make baked Masala Methi Mathri?
If you are planning to bake Mathri, Add 2 tablespoon more Ghee or oil. Preheat the oven @340 degrees F. Line them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake them for 10 minutes, flip them and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the mathri are nicely browned.Nutrition
Warm Regards,
Dhwani.
Thanks Dhwani for sharing this wonderful recipe.. I have tried it and everyone enjoyed it.. Your recipes have made my life easier this Diwali.. 🙂
Hi Divya!
So glad to hear that you found my Diwali recipes helpful. Thanks for trying them and sharing the feedback.
Have a Happy and Safe Diwali to you and your family! 🙂