Baked Crackers!! I am super excited about this one because, as an Indian mathri is one of my go-to snacks. Until now, I made them following a traditional methi mathri recipe from my mother. But this baked mathri is quite a revelation. They are easy to make, do not require deep frying, are vegan, and look fancy, like gourmet crackers. It’s a highly customisable mathri recipe and brilliant for making ahead because it stays crisp for days!
Ingredients Required
Flour: I use a combination of whole wheat flour (atta) and gram flour (besan). You can make this mathri with all-purpose flour (maida), jowar flour, ragi flour, or buckwheat flour. Sooji: Use fine granular semolina (rava) and not coarse texture. Seasoning: Pickle Masala Powder, Carom Seeds (ajwain), Chaat Masala, Cumin Powder, Salt Oil: Use flavourless, odourless, light vegetable oil. Water: Use ice-cold water to bind the dough Seeds: You can embellish mathri with white sesame and nigella seeds.
How To Make
Step 1) Combine flour, semolina, seasoning, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix nicely with a spoon or fingers (images 1 & 2). Step 2) Pour oil and rub the flour mixture using your fingers. The flour mixture should resemble fine bread crumbs (images 3 & 4). Step 3) To bind dough, add ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and knead a stiff yet pliable dough. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Step 4) Keep the dough covered aside for 10 minutes. Step 5) Divide the dough into two equal parts. Pick one ball at a time, and roll flat into ¼ inch thickness like a big sheet. Step 6) Using a pizza or cookie cutter, cut squares. Prick each mathri with a fork and brush with oil. Sprinkle seeds on each mathri. Step 7) Bake them in a preheated oven, flipping once in between for even browning from both sides. Step 8) Transfer the baked mathri to a wire rack to cool down. Once cooled, the mathri tends to crisp a little more.
Serving Suggestion
Mathri is an Indian munching snack. You can serve it with a cup of tea, pack it in school lunch boxes, or for travelling. However, this baked mathri tastes delicious on a party snack platter with dips and cheese. I make a big batch of them because they disappear fast.
My Tried & True Tips
While making baked mathri, it is essential to follow ingredient measurements precisely. Do NOT add too much fat/oil/ghee (moyen), or water to the flour. Make sure to rub oil and flour nicely before adding water. This process needs most of your time and attention if you want perfectly flaky mathri. Both (flour and oil), when combined, must stick together. Rest the dough covered for 10 minutes. Resting the dough helps in relaxing the gluten strands and gives flakiness to the mathri. Next, add only one tablespoon of ice-cold water to bind the dough. We want a non-sticky, soft, moist, and pliable dough. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter or follow us on Youtube for video recipes.
