Crispy Methi Mathri are the perfect tea time snack!
I recently realized I can resist most desserts, even cheesecake, but when it comes to mathri I have no self-control. My mother used to make mathri at home only twice a year—Holi and Diwali—because she knew one person in the house would finish them all: me. Mathri are deep-fried, crisp snacks popular in North India during festive seasons. You’ll find sweet shops stocked with many varieties, though savory mathri are the most common. Here is my favorite version: Methi Mathri.
Methi means fenugreek. Dried fenugreek leaves, known as kasuri methi, add a distinctive aroma and flavor to many Indian dishes and are used in these mathri. This recipe also uses ajwain (carom seeds) and black peppercorns for a subtle, warming bite. As a child I didn’t like whole peppercorns in my mathri, but now that slight heat is something I enjoy.
I remember my mother packing two large boxes of mathri when I left for Scotland for my master’s—one with plain namak pare and the other with methi mathri—because she knew I would miss them. Chai and mathri remain one of my favorite combinations.
Mathri are simple to make, but the most common problem beginners face is that the mathri isn’t crispy. The usual culprit is oil that’s too hot. Mathri should be fried on medium heat so they cook through slowly and become crisp without burning. Keep the oil at a steady medium temperature rather than smoking hot. These methi mathri make a lovely Diwali treat and pair beautifully with a hot cup of tea.
Method
In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, crushed kasuri methi, salt, ajwain seeds and black peppercorns.
Add ghee or oil to the flour mixture and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Begin adding cold water, a little at a time, and bring the mixture together to form a dough. Knead briefly to make a firm, smooth dough. Cover with a muslin cloth and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
After resting, divide the dough into 20–25 equal portions. Roll each portion into a round ball and flatten slightly—these mathri are meant to be a bit thicker than a regular cracker.
Heat oil over medium heat. When the oil reaches the right temperature (steady medium heat, not smoking), carefully slide in the mathri. Fry them on medium heat, turning occasionally, until they are evenly golden-brown and crisp.
Drain the fried mathri on kitchen paper and allow them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. Properly cooled and stored, mathri will stay crisp for weeks, though at my house they usually disappear within a day or two.
- Always fry mathri on medium heat—if the oil is too hot they won’t turn out crispy.
- Omit whole peppercorns if you don’t like the occasional bite of pepper while eating.
- Store completely cooled mathri in an airtight jar; they keep well for weeks.
Methi Mathri
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (maida)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1.5 tablespoons kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 tablespoons ghee or oil
- cold water as required for kneading (about ½ cup)
- more oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Combine flour, kasuri methi, salt, ajwain and black peppercorns in a bowl.
- Add ghee or oil and rub with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add cold water gradually and bring the mixture together to form a stiff, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 20–25 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball and flatten slightly; these mathri are thicker than regular crackers.
- Heat oil over medium heat. When it is steady and warm (not smoking), gently drop in the mathri.
- Fry on medium heat until golden brown and crisp, turning as needed for even color.
- Drain on kitchen paper, let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Methi Mathri
