Matthi or Savoury Crackers are beautiful, light, golden wafer-thin crackers, studded with tiny bubbles and are an absolute delight. They are generally flavoured with carom seeds. Traditionally ‘matthi’ are made with a large proportion of fat, which produces crackers that taste like savoury shortbread.

Ingredients of Matthi

375 gram unsifted plain flour

3 tbsps warm melted vegetable fat, plus 1 tsp fat for kneading

¾ tsp carom seeds, crushed

2¼ tsps salt

1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tbsps plain yogurt

10 tbsps warm water

60 gram plain flour for dusting

Peanut or corn oil enough to carry

Method of preparing Matthi

Place flour in a large bowl. Place the flour in a bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour, and add oil. Pick up some flour or oil-coated flour in one hand. Place the other hand over the flour and fat mixture. Now slide two hands back and forth from heel to fingertips, rubbing the flour and fat between palms. This entire motion should be carried out directly over the bowl containing the flour and oil, so that the oil-coated flour may fall back into the bowl as the rubbing continues. When the whole handful of flour has fallen back into the bowl, pick up more flour and oil, and continue until the entire batch of flour in the bowl is evenly coated with the oil, and no more lumps of fat can be seen. Stir in carom seeds, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Blend the yogurt with the water and pour over the flour in a thin stream, until the dough can be gathered into a mass and kneaded.

Place the dough on a marble or floured wooden board. Knead the dough for 10 minutes and this will be a firm but pliable dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel or cling film, and let the dough rest for at least some hour at room temperature.

Knead the dough again for a minute. Divide into 8 equal portions, and shape them into balls.

Place one ball at a time on the work board. Dust generously with flour and roll into circles. Cut round crackers with a plain biscuit cutter. With a sharp knife make four to six slashes in the centre of the crackers to prevent their puffing up during frying. Continue the same way with the rest of the balls. The reserved scraps may be pressed into different patterns and fried, a few pieces at a time. These crackers may be rolled an hour ahead of time, as long as they are kept loosely covered with cling film to keep them from drying out.

Heat oil for frying.

Drop 6 to 8 crackers at a time into the oil. The crackers will first sink to the bottom of the pan and then rise sizzling, to the surface. Fry, turning often, until they are cooked through and barely pink. Do not let them colour too much. They should remain as pale as possible.

Take the crackers out with a slotted spoon, and place them on a baking sheet lined with several layers of kitchen paper, to drain. Continue with the rest of the crackers the same way.

Matthi make perfect appetizers when a heavy meal is to follow. They are also a good choice when the rest of the meal takes a little time to prepare. They are ideal at afternoon high tea.