Mathri is a traditional Rajasthani snack. It is a kind of flaky and crispy biscuit from north-west region of India. It is one of the most popular snacks in North India, and is part of most marriage cooking or religious occasions like "Karva Chauth", "Diwali" and even as tea-time snack. Before the trend of biscuits, home-made Mathris were preferred for snacks and treats.

Mathri is served with mango, chilli or lemon pickle along with tea. It is also served at marriages and pujas. "Masala Mathri", "Punjabi Mathri" and "Methi Mathri" are some variant of Mathri with spices added to make it more tasty and crispy. It is made from maida, water and cumin seeds. Its specialty is that it can be stored for more than a month in an air-tight container.

Ingredients:

•2 cup Maida
•1/4th cup Semolina
•2 tsp Salt
•1/2 tsp whole Black Peppercorns
•1 tsp Cumin seeds
•1/8th tsp Baking Powder
•2 tbsp Curd
•7 tbsp warm Water
•4 tbsp melted Ghee
•Oil for deep frying

Method:

•Mix the maida, salt, cumin, cracked pepper and baking powder in a bowl.
•Add the ghee and rub between the palms until it takes the form of breadcrumbs.
•Combine the curd with water and form pliable but firm dough using this liquid.
•Cover the dough with the damp cloth and set aside for 30 mins.
•Divide the dough into small balls and roll out all the balls.
•Make 5-6 holes into the disc with the help of a knife.
•Heat the oil in a kadhai.
•Fry the rolled mathris in a batch over moderate heat.
•Do not allow the rounds to become brown; they should remain pale gold in colour.
•Remove and drain on paper towels.
•Repeat the process for frying all mathris.

Tips and Variations:

•To make triangular shaped mathri, roll each portion of dough into 4-5 inch diameter circle shape, then fold it on single side and again fold it on another side.
•Be patient while deep frying because mathri takes more time to cook as it needs to be deep fried over low heat.
•Make sure that dough is not soft otherwise mathri will not turn crispy.
•Kasuri methi is added to give the Punjabi touch to this crispy snack. One can also add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds instead of kasuri methi and carom seeds for variation.