Baked Mathri Recipe
Crisp, flaky, and lightly spiced with ajwain (carom seeds), baked mathri is a delicious savory snack with a cup of chai! Traditional mathri is deep-fried, but this baked version gives you that classic flaky, crunchy texture without deep-frying.
These homemade mathris are easy to make, keep well, and are just as good for your afternoon tea as they are for festive snacking and gifting. Keep a batch on hand for easy anytime snacking!
Looking for more easy-to-make savory snacks? Then you must try my masala roasted nuts, spicy puffed rice, and sweet potato crackers.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Baked, not fried. Get golden, crispy mathri without the fuss of deep-frying.
- Crispy and crunchy. Semolina gives these baked mathris a delicate crunch while the flour and fat create the characteristic flaky, crumbly texture.
- Easy to make. The dough comes together with simple pantry ingredients, and the oven does all the cooking!
- Great for snacking and gifting. Serve them with chai, pack them for travel, or add them to a festive snack platter or homemade gift box.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: I love using a mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. All-purpose keeps the mathri light and crisp, while the whole wheat flour adds a little heartiness. Semolina gives them an extra crunch!
Oil or melted ghee: This is what gives mathri its flaky texture. Rub it thoroughly into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Spice: I like to keep these baked mathris simply seasoned with just carom seeds (ajwain). The warm, slightly peppery flavor is the signature taste everyone loves.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
Variations
There are plenty of ways to play with the flavors of the baked mathri recipe.
Masala mathri: Add red chili powder, cumin seeds, and black pepper.
Methi mathri: Mix finely crushed dried fenugreek leaves into the dough.
Atta mathri: Replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier mathri.
Sweet mathri: Leave out the savory spices and add jaggery, sesame seeds, and fennel instead. Try my sweet mathri recipe.
How To Make Baked Mathri
Mathi, mathiya, mathari, or matthi, the savory delights that crumble in your mouth go by many names and have as many recipes as there are households in India.
Each person makes their own variation. That’s why I kept it basic, leaving it up to you to add any ingredients.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl – all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, semolina, salt, and carom seeds.
Step 2: Add the oil and rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and starts clumping together.
Step 3: Start adding water, just one to two tablespoons at a time.
Step 4: Mix the dough with your hands until it starts coming together. Don't knead the dough. Just mix well so that there are no visible dry flour streaks left. The mathri dough is not soft. It has to be pliable but tight.
Step 5: Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Divide the dough into two. Roll out each half to1/4th of an inch thickness. Prick the rolled-out dough using a fork.
Step 7: Cut into any shape you like using a knife or pastry cutter, or use a cookie cutter.
Step 8: Place on the prepared tray and bake for 25-30 minutes until light golden in color. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Pro Tips
- Since this mathri recipe has whole wheat flour, don’t roll them too thick. They’ll turn out too hard.
- Prick them well. This keeps the mathris from puffing up as they bake and helps them stay flat and crisp.
- Don't overbake the mathris. They harden as they cool.
How To Serve
Mathri is wonderful with a cup of chai, but you can do more with these savory bites.
- Serve them as a part of your cheese board with dips, pickles, and chutneys. I especially love them alongside baked Camembert.
- Add them to a festive snack platter with other Indian sweets and savory treats.
- Serve with mint chutney, mango pickle, or your favorite dip for a fun afternoon snack.
How To Store
Once completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay crisp for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe FAQs
What is mathri?
Mathri is a crisp, crumbly, flaky Indian savory cracker, made with flour, fat, and spices like carom seeds. Traditionally deep-fried and enjoyed with chai, it has a wonderfully crunchy texture and a deliciously savory bite.
What is moyan?
Moyan is the term for adding fat (oil or ghee), very commonly used in North India. Rubbing the fat into the dry flour before adding water is the most crucial step of the mathri recipe and a lot of other traditional Indian recipes like gujiya and shankarpali. It’s the same as cutting butter into flour when making biscuits or scones.
Why is my baked mathri soft?
Baked mathri can soften if it hasn't baked long enough or is stored before it has cooled completely. If they are still soft after cooling, bake them for another few minutes.
Can you fry the mathris with this recipe?
Yes, you can deep-fry these mathris instead of baking them. After the dough has rested, divide into small, equal-sized balls, prick them with a fork, and fry until golden and crisp.
More Easy Snack Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Easy Baked Mathri
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole wheat flour
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp Sooji ( semolina)
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Ajwain ( Carom seeds)
- 3 tbsp Oil You can use ghee ( melted) if you prefer.
- 1/3-1/2 cup Water You may need more
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl –all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, semolina, salt, and carom seeds. 1 cup Wholewheat flour, 1 cup All-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp Sooji ( semolina), 3/4 tsp Salt, 2 tsp Ajwain ( Carom seeds)
- Add the oil and rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and starts clumping together. 3 tbsp Oil
- Add water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. 1/3-1/2 cup Water
- Mix the dough with your hands until it starts coming together.
- There is no need to knead it. The mathri dough is not soft. It has to be pliable but tight.
- Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line a baking tray with Silpat or parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into two. Roll out each half to 1/4 - inch thickness.
- Prick the rolled-out dough using a fork.
- Cut into any shape you like using a knife or pizza-cutter or use a cookie-cutter.
- Place on the prepared tray and bake at 180 C/ 350 F for 25-30 minutes until light golden in color.
- Cool completely and store in air-tight container. Enjoy!
Notes
- Since this mathri recipe has whole wheat flour, don’t roll them too thick. They’ll turn out too hard.
- Prick them well. This keeps the mathris from puffing up as they bake and helps them stay flat and crisp.
- Don't overbake the mathris. They harden as they cool.
What’s the temperature to bake ?
Natasha Author
Hi Madhuri, please bake these at 180 C as mentioned.Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
This is like a must have on every Holi / Diwali! So delicious and so addictive.
Natasha Author
Right?! It disappears in no time, every time! 🙂 love