Punjabi Mathi

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian

Firstly take a large mixing bowl and add 2 cups of refined flour in it.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of carrom seeds in it.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of black cumin in it.
Add salt as per taste.
Finally add 1/2 cup of desi ghee in the bowl.
Mix and Knead it well with your hands.
Make sure the desi ghee gets absorbed evenly. It should resemble bread crumbs.
Now hold a dough in your fist, if it forms a lump and does not crumble, your dough is ready for the next step.
Now slowly add 8 to 10 spoons of water to bind the flour.
You must keep in mind that you are just adding water to mix the dough with water and not to knead it like a roti. (TIP:Add very little amount of water and that to slowly and one by one)
The dough must be firm and not soft, once done, let it rest for 20 minutes.

After resting it for 20 minutes, knead it with your hands gently and divide the dough into four parts.
Roll the balls into cylinders with your hands.
make small balls from each cylinder and keep them aside.
Roll them evenly.Now take a rolling pin and place a ball on it.
Tap it with your hands to flatten it.
Roll it with the rolling pin evenly.
It should neither be too thin or too thick.
Now keep it on a plate and peirce it with fork or knife. (TIP:This avoid the mathi from puffing like a puri)
Repeat the same with the remaining batches.

Heat a pan with 3 cups of refined oil.
Add a pinch of dough to see if the oil is ready for frying or not. If the dough comes up then the oil is perfectly ready.
If the dough comes up then the oil is perfectly ready.
Now turn the flame to low and slowly add the mathis in the oil one by one.(TIP: Don’t add more than 10 mathis in each frying batch)
Keep the flame at low and let it fry for two minutes.
Now flip it on the other side and let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. (TIP:Keep the flame at low throughout the process. It makes the mathi crisper)
Once it turns golden , your mathi is perfectly cooked.
Your mathi is ready, transfer them to a bowl and repeat the same with the remaining batches.
Let it cool down for 30 minutes.
Then store it in an airtight container. It can stay fresh and crisp upto 2 months , if properly stored.