Mathari Aachari, Indian Savoury Biscuits with Pickling Spices
Achari Mathri
Mamta Gupta
Mathries, the traditional, staple snack of most North Indian homes is usually eaten with mango or other pickle. Here, the taste and flavour of pickle is added to the dough itself, hence the name Achari.
Makes approximately 30
Ingredients
2 cups (approximately 225 gm.) plain white flour or maida
1 cup semolina (approximately 110 gm.)
2 level tsp. salt, adjust to taste
1 level tsp. turmeric powder*
4 tbsp.(60 ml.) vegetable (sunflower or rape seed) oil
2 tbsp. (30 ml.) mustard oil*
1 1/2 tsp. Panch Pooran* (a mix of pickling spice; fennel, nigella, mustard, fenugreek and cumin seeds)
2 tbsp. malt vinegar/lemon juice*
Water at room temperature, enough to make a very stiff dough
Poori press or a rolling pin
Oil for deep frying
Optional: A small pinch of baking powder to make them crisper. But bear in mind that though they will be crisper, this will make them quite fragile to handle.
You can also add 1 tablespoon of dry methi (fenugreek) leaves to the dough.
*If you have a lot of spice and oil mix left at the base of a mango pickle jar, you can add a couple of tablespoons of that to the flour, in place of ingredients marked with*
Instructions
Place all dry ingredients and 6 tbsp. oil (4 tbs. vegetable + 2 tbsp. mustard oil) in a food processor or bowl and mix, until crumbly, just like a pastry mix. You can do this by hand by rubbing the dry ingredients and oil between your fingers.
Add vinegar and mix.
Now make VERY firm dough by adding a couple of tablespoons of water at a time and mixing. I add only a tablespoon at a time. If you add too much at once, the dough becomes soft. For matharies, you need quite a stiff dough.
Once the dough is formed, place it on a lightly oiled, clean work surface and give a good knead with the heal of your hands, just like making a bread dough, but very much firmer.
Divide the dough into 4-5 portions and roll them into thick ropes.
Cut each rope into 2 inch pieces.
Make balls of each 2 inch piece. If it is a warm day, keep them covered with a moist piece of muslin/cloth.
Roll each piece to a 2 inch diameter biscuit. I use a poori/Taco press, as shown in picture.
Stab each biscuit with a knife or a fork a few times. This stops them from fluffing up during the frying process. If they fluff up, they will become like poories and will be soft when cold. They are meant to be firm and crisp, just like biscuits.
Cooking: To make them firm and crisp like biscuits, the trick is to fry them very slowly in low-medium hot oil, not very hot oil. If cooked fast in very hot oil, the Matharies will become soft. To test if the oil is at correct temperature, drop one Mathari into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top slowly, not too fast, the oil is at correct heat.
Fry in small batches of 6-8, depending upon the size of your karahi. Turn them over gently a few times, until nicely golden brown, not too dark.
Take out with a skimmer or slotted spoon and place on an absorbent paper. Professional cooks place them in a large ?jhari? or a wire sieve to drain all the oil. When cool, Matharies should be hard like a biscuits.
Cool completely and store in airtight jars.
They can be served hot, straight from the karahi or wok, with a fresh cup of tea or coffee. They are equally good cold.
