Methi mathri
Make crisp methi mathri with a firm rested dough, pricked discs and small frying batches for Dhanteras tea-time snacks.
- Active prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Yield
- About 20 small mathris
About 70 minutes total elapsed time, including 20 minutes for soaking, resting or cooling. Times are estimates; chilling for cold service and preparing already boiled ingredients require additional time where noted.
Methi mathri is a savoury flour snack that can be made before the evening gets busy. Rub the fat into the flour thoroughly, keep the dough firmer than roti dough and prick each disc. Those small steps help produce a crisp centre without ballooning or an undercooked middle.
Ingredients
- 2 cups maida (about 250 g)
- ¼ cup ghee or neutral oil for the dough
- 2 tbsp kasuri methi, rubbed between your palms
- ½ tsp ajwain
- ¾ tsp salt, adjust to taste
- ⅓–½ cup water, added gradually
- Neutral oil for deep-frying small batches
Method
- 1
Mix flour, kasuri methi, ajwain and salt in a bowl. Rub in the dough ghee until a squeezed handful holds together loosely.
- 2
Add water little by little and bind a firm dough. Stop once it comes together; avoid a soft sticky dough. Cover and rest for twenty minutes.
- 3
Divide into twenty small pieces. Roll each into a disc about 4–5 mm thick, keeping the remaining dough covered.
- 4
Prick both sides with a fork so the discs do not puff. Heat frying oil over medium-low heat; a tiny dough piece should rise gradually rather than darken straight away.
- 5
Slide in a small batch carefully. Turn occasionally and fry until evenly golden and crisp; lower the heat if the outside colours before the centre cooks.
- 6
Drain on a rack or absorbent paper. Cool completely before putting in a clean dry airtight container; keep a portion for the day’s tea or guests.
Helpful tips
- A thick or soft disc needs longer frying and can remain doughy inside.
- Fresh methi changes the dough moisture; this method uses dried kasuri methi.
- Contains wheat; ghee also introduces dairy.
Plan ahead
Set aside a separate twenty-minute dough rest and enough space for cooled mathri. Prepare the snack before puja preparation starts, with one adult responsible for frying and no children beside the hot oil.
Reference: FSSAI: safe food handling and refrigeration
Common questions
Why are my mathris soft in the middle?
The dough may be too soft, the discs too thick or the oil too hot. Use firm dough, even discs and moderate heat so the centre cooks before the surface browns.
Can I bake this exact mathri dough instead?
Baking changes the texture and timing. This is a fried recipe; use a separately tested baked recipe rather than assuming the same method will produce the same result.