Punjabi Mathri is crispy, light, golden wafer-thin snack, studded with tiny bubbles and is an absolute delight. The mathri is generally flavoured with carom seeds. Traditionally, it is made with a large proportion of fat, which produces crackers that taste like savoury shortbread. This recipe is for Punjabi style mathri which is flaky and is spiced with ajwain (carom seeds), kali mirch (black pepper) and jeera (cumin seeds).

Punjabi Mathri makes a perfect appetizer when a heavy meal is to follow. This snack is also a good choice when the rest of the meal takes a little time to prepare. Punjabi Mathri is ideal at afternoon high tea as a snack. Once made in bulk, it can be stored in an air tight container and enjoy it for the next few weeks. Mathris have a long shelf life.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Ghee - 5 tbsp

Carom seeds - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Black Peppercorns - 7 numbers

Salt to taste

Water - 6 tbsp

Method:

Mix the wheat flour, all purpose flour, ghee, carom seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and salt. Mix all of them well together with fingertips. This must resemble bread crumbs.

Add little water, 1 tsp at a time and mix the flour together. It will be hard bound together after kneading. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Make small balls of the mix; these balls need not be perfect like for rotis or pooris, just little balls.

Press each ball between the palms and shape them to a small round, the shape can be uneven, its okay.

Keep all the mathris and the balls covered at all times so they don’t get dried out.

Prick at several places with a knife in each mathri so they don’t rise up like pooris when fried.

Now heat oil on medium flame and drop the flattened mathris into the oil. Fry till they are crispy and golden. Turn occasionally.

Drain the excess oil by taking them out on a kitchen paper.

When cooled, store in an air-tight box.

Tips: The more mixing of the flour with hands in the first step, the more nice texture will the final mathris achieve.