Mathri, Maa's Recipe

Mathri, swali, papadi whatever you might call it, the fact remains the same- every Indian loves it. Want to give happiness to an Indian-serve mathri with tea or achaar (pickle), their faces will lighten up and turn all excited. That’s what mathri does. A child leaving the house for a school/college trip, going to hostel or a business tour- a mother will surely pack mathris. Why not?? It’s like a box that contains a mother’s love, care and smell.

A week back when we came back from India, my mother did the same. She packed for us her love in form of mathris. Mathris are thick, crunchy, salty and little bits of carom seeds balances everything-just perfectly. Swalis are fried and made with refined flour-so calories wise yes they are not healthy but taste wise no biscuits, cookies or cake will have that magic what mathris has. But hey, I am not disappointing you, see healthier version of Baked Mathris if you are watching your weight.

Others who are okay with little calories now and then or those who are looking to have that authentic taste of mathri then this recipe is for you. My mom noted down the recipe and tips for me and I am just typing it on my blog.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

3/4 cup whole wheat flour/aatta

1 teaspoon carom seeds/ajwain

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons oil

Water as needed to knead the dough

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Mix all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, carom seeds and baking soda properly.

Add in2 tablespoons oil and mix till little crumbs are formed.

Add little water at a time. Knead into hard dough. Cover the dough and set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil. Start making the mathris. Pinch small balls out of the dough and flatten it with rolling pin/belan. With the help of fork make some holes.

Fry the mathris in low to medium hot oil till browned and crisp.

Notes:

Don’t fry lot of mathris together. The oil should be medium hot; extra hot oil will cook mathris from outside and inside it will be raw.

I like the uneven edges of mathri, if you want you can use cookie cutter to cut the mathris out.

Adjust the quantity of flours as per your linking. More whole wheat flour means crispy mathris and all purpose flour will make soft mathris.

For flakier version add ghee in the dough instead of oil.

Serving suggestions.

Goes really well with tea-undoubtedly.

Serve with green chilli pickle, mango pickle or tomatochutney

To make papadi chaat, break these mathris and top it off with beaten yogurt (dahi), green chutney and tamarind (imli) chutney.