Mathri Recipe (Punjabi Mathiya or Mathari)

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1. 1Step 1: First heat the ghee or oil in a small pan until hot. Take the hot ghee or oil and all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, all the spices, dry fenugreek leaves, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
2. 2Step 2: First mix everything well with a spoon. Then when the mixture is warm or cool enough to handle, mix the fat evenly in the flour with your fingertips.
3. 3Step 3: The whole mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. The more you do this, the more flaky texture the mathri or mathiya will have.
4. 4Step 4: Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water at a time and only mix the dough. Don't knead like a roti or poori dough. But only mix the water in the dough until it comes together.
5. 5Step 5: When the whole mixture can be easily clumped or gathered together into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel and keep aside to rest for 30 mins.
6. 6Step 6: Heat oil for frying in a kadai (wok) or frying pan. Pinch small balls from the dough. Simply roll them lightly in your palms to even them. No need to give them a proper round shape.
7. 7Step 7: Keep the balls covered with a kitchen towel so that they do not dry out.
8. 8Step 8: Flatten each ball with a rolling pin to medium thickness. You will see jagged uneven edges and they are alright.
9. 9Step 9: Prick each rolled dough with a fork or pierce them with a knife.
10. 10Step 10: In case you want a smooth finish, then use a biscuit or cookie cutter. Roll a large piece of dough and cut with a cookie cutter.
11. 11Step 11: Check the hotness of oil before frying the mathari.
12. 12Step 12: Drop a small piece and if comes to the surface gradually, then the oil is ready.
13. 13Step 13: If it comes to quickly, then the oil is very hot and the mathri will brown from out but remain uncooked from inside and will become soft.
14. 14Step 14: If it comes slowly, then the oil is cold. Result would be the mathari would absorb a lot of oil and become dense due to over frying.
15. 15Step 15: Fry them in medium hot oil turning over as needed until crisp and golden.
16. 16Step 16: Regulate the heat between medium-low to medium if required.
17. 17Step 17: Drain on kitchen paper towels and when cooled store them in an airtight box.
18. 18Step 18: Fry them in batches this way.
19. 19Step 19: Serve these flaky spiced punjabi mathri with ginger tea or masala tea as an evening snack.
20. 20Step 20: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
21. 21Step 21: Roll the dough into round disc as mentioned above.
22. 22Step 22: Place them in a baking pan or tray and then bake for 20 to 30 mins or till light golden in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
23. 23Step 23: After 10 to 12 minutes, turn over the mathri for even baking and browning.
24. 24Step 24: If even after 20 to 30 minutes the mathri look soft or under-baked, then bake for some more minutes.
25. 25Step 25: Please keep an eye on the baking as oven temperatures differ in various models and brands.
26. 26Step 26: Remove with a spatula and place the baked crackers on a wire rack to cool.
27. 27Step 27: Once cooled, store them in an airtight container or jar.