Masala Mathri is one of the popular Indian snack, which is prepared by kneading a stiff dough with all purpose flour / maida, wheat flour adding various spices to it and then deep fried. Best tea time or evening snack for all ages.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4 people

• 1 cup - Maida / all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp - Wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp - Cumin seeds
• 3 pinches - Pepper powder (freshly ground)
• 2 pinches - Ajwain / omam (crushed)
• 1/4 tsp - Kasuri methi / dried fenugreek
• 1 pinch - Baking soda
• 1 pinch - Asafoetida
• 1 tbsp - Ghee (hot ghee)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation method:

1. Take a mixing bowl, add maida, wheat flour, baking soda, crushed ajwain, cumin seeds, pepper powder, kasuri methi, asafoetida and salt to taste. Finally add hot ghee and enough water, knead into a smooth but firm dough.
2. Make gooseberry size balls out of the dough. Take a ball and roll into small poori / puri, fold poori to a triangular shape as shown in the picture. Using fork, just poke mathri here and there. Follow the same procedure with rest of the dough, keep all of them aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, deep fry them till they are crisp and golden brown over medium flame. Triangle mathri's have to be fried really evenly to ensure that the inner folds are cooked well.
4. Drain them on paper towel or tissue to remove excess oil. Allow them to cool completely and store them in an airtight container. Serve them with hot tea as an evening snack.

Notes:

• Do not fry the mathri in a very hot oil because they become browned quickly from the outside but it will be half cooked. Oil should be kept on a low to medium flame, hence it takes long time to fry mathri than any other fried Indian snacks.
• You can replace hot ghee with hot oil and add to dough for more flakiness.
• Dough should be firm and not too soft. So add water little by little while making the dough. So that you can avoid adding too much water.
• You can make mathri in circular shape also, which takes little less time to cook than triangular once.