AI-generated image
Mathia
Thin, crisp Diwali wafers of moong and urad dal flour. Makes 80
Mathia are thin, crisp, slightly sweet and peppery wafers made from mathia flour, a mix of ground husked moong and urad dal. They are a classic Gujarati Diwali snack. The dough is pounded until pale, rolled very thin between plastic sheets and fried one at a time. They are fragile, so store them gently. To make mathia flour, finely grind 4 parts husked green gram lentils with 1 part husked black gram lentils.
- Total time
- 170 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
For the paste
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Boil ¾ cup water with 1 ½ tbsp salt for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 2: Take off the heat, add 8 tbsp sugar and stir until it dissolves.
Step 3: Mix 1 ⅛ lb mathia flour, 2 tbsp green chilli paste, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp ajwain (carom) seeds, 1 tsp asafoetida, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and bicarbonate of soda. Knead into a firm dough with the sugar and salt water.
Step 4: Pound the dough with a pestle or the end of a rolling pin until it becomes light in colour.
15 minStep 5: Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a log 2.5 cm in diameter. Slice each log into 2.5 cm thick slices.
Step 6: Mix 2 tbsp ghee and 3 tbsp plain flour into a paste. Toss the dough slices in the paste and keep them covered.
Step 7: Roll each slice into a thin 15 cm round between 2 plastic sheets. Keep the rounds separately on a cloth, covered, so they don't dry out.
Step 8: Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry each mathia individually, turning once, until crisp but still pale.
60 minStep 9: Drain the oil. Mathia are fragile, so stack them gently in an air-tight container.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mathia take?
- About 170 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of green chilli paste?
- 1 finely chopped green chilli per tsp.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Potato chakri
Potato chakri are crisp, light spirals made with rice flour and boiled potato, flavoured with ginger, chilli, lemon, sesame and coriander. The potato makes them extra tender-crisp. They keep for about 3 weeks in an air-tight container, so make them ahead for Diwali or guests.
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Bean sprouts
Sprouting whole green grams makes them crunchier, quicker to cook and more nutritious. All you need is muslin, water and a warm spot, and they're ready in 3–4 days. Use them in salads, bhel, usal and stir-fries. Any other whole pulse sprouts the same way.