Making lentil mathri with Rajasthani spices is a simple recipe that allows you to create a tasty and long-lasting snack. This mathri is made from yellow lentils, flour, semolina, and various spices, and it pairs especially well with tea.
Popularity and Benefits of the Snack
Mathri is a popular delicacy in Indian homes, often consumed during evening tea time along with other snacks such as biscuits, salty snacks, or samosas. One of the main advantages of this dish is the ability to prepare it once and store it for several days.
Ingredients for Preparation
The following components are required to make this snack: 1/2 cup of yellow lentils, 1½ cups of wheat flour (maida), 2 tablespoons of semolina (sooji), 3-4 tablespoons of ghee, 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek, 1 teaspoon of ajwain, a pinch of hing, 1 teaspoon of red pepper powder, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, salt to taste, vegetable oil for frying, and water as needed.
Step-by-Step Cooking Process
First, the lentils must be soaked in water for 4-5 hours. After that, the water is drained, and the lentils are ground into a coarse crumb, ensuring that the paste does not become too runny. Next, the ground lentils, flour, semolina, ghee, dried fenugreek, ajwain, hing, red pepper, turmeric, and salt are mixed in a large bowl. A firm dough is kneaded by adding a little water, which is then covered and left for 15-20 minutes.
Shaping and Frying the Mathri
Subsequently, a thick paste is prepared in a small bowl by mixing a little flour, ghee, or oil with water. Small balls are formed from the dough, or a large sheet is rolled out. The prepared paste is applied onto this sheet, then it is rolled into a roll and cut into small pieces. These pieces are lightly flattened. Oil is heated in a kadai over low heat, and the mathri are fried until golden and crispy. The finished products are placed on paper towels to remove excess oil and allowed to cool completely.
Storing the Finished Product
After cooling completely, the mathri should be stored in an airtight container. This way, the prepared mathri retains its freshness for many days, making the taste of evening tea even more pleasant.