MATRI

‘Matri’ or ‘Matti’ is a very tasty snack from North India – crisp and melt-in-your-mouth! The main ingredients are maida (all purpose flour), ghee and salt.

It has been a family favorite – my sons still love to take a plateful of matris, lovingly spread mango pickle all over it and relish them at tea time. I still carry home-made matris to the US – in a big pearl pet bottle so that they don’t crack and break into pieces. Of course I also make them there as all ingredients are easily available there.

Preparation time – 10 minutes

Making time – 50 minutes

Makes 40 matris

                                  

Ingredients

1. Maida – 2 cups
2. Rava – 2 tbsp
3. Melted ghee – 10 tsp
4. Salt to taste ( about 1/2 tsp)
5. Ajwain – 1 tsp
6. Warm water - about 1/2 cup
7. Oil for frying

Method

1. Mix maida, rava, and salt. Crush ajwain between your palms and add it.
2. Mix well.
3. Add 4 tsps of melted ghee and mix together.
4. Add the remaining ghee and mix well.
5. Add warm water little by little and knead into firm dough and keep covered for at least 20 minutes.
6. Make big marble-sized balls with one third of the dough.
7. Dip each ball in a little oil and roll into a small puri.
8. Make a few little lines with a knife in each puri (to prevent it from puffing up).
9. Repeat with all the balls.
10. Heat oil in frying pan.
11. When the oil is hot, add 5-6 matris carefully in the oil.
12. After a minute, lower the flame.
13. After another minute, gently flip each of the matris.
14. After a couple of minutes, turn the matris again.
15. Mmake sure they turn light brown on both sides.
16. When the bubbles in the oil subside, it is time to remove the matris from oil.
17. Drain off the oil well and set the light brown matris on a tissue.
18. Fry the rest of the batches of matris.
19. When they have cooled, store them in airtight containers.

Tips

1. If you want to optimize your time, keep the frying pan on the stove after rolling 10 matris. As one batch is getting fried, roll out a set of 5-6 matris – you can manage this if you are used to rolling puris!
2. Patiently fry the matris on low heat so that they are light brown as well as crisp.
3. During your first attempt, roll 5-6 matris and fry them. Allow them to cool and taste them. If they are crisp, go ahead with the rest of the dough.
4. If less ghee is used, matris will be a bit hard. You can overcome this by kneading the remaining dough with your palm smeared with melted ghee.
5. If excess ghee is used, they will tend to crumble in the oil. In that case, add 1-2 tsp of maida to the dough and knead well before making the rest of the matris.
6. You can even roll out a large puri with the dough and cut it in diamond (rhombus) / rectangular shapes and fry them.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.