As I fry the mathri, I know I will put them in an airtight box, nestle the box among clothes in my bag and ferry the bag across several states. For a birthday celebration. My dear friends turn sixty. It is to be a gathering of families. A weekend spent recalling funny stories, regaling funnier ones and eating great food.
Mathris are small flat puris, deep fried till crisp brown. Flavored with ajwain and black pepper, my version has a twist-- fresh methi or fenugreek leaves. Plain ones dipped in a little achaar are a childhood favorite. A many flavored one is best eaten by itself. Hence these beauties. Read on. Make them. Or just enjoy the auditory aspect, if you can imagine it so!
METHI MATHRI
Makes about 50
1 cup fresh Methi or Fenugreek leaves
1 1/2 cup AP Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
4 tablespoons Canola Oil
1 tablespoon ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Ajwain or Carom seeds
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Wash methi and chop roughly.
Place AP flour and whole wheat flour in the bowl of a food processor.
Add methi, black pepper, ajwain and salt to flours.
Pulse to mix.
Add about 2/3 cup water to the flour. Add water gradually pulsing often, till the dough comes together in a ball.
Knead till smooth.
Cover dough.
Let dough rest for 1 hour.
Divide dough into 4.
Flatten and roll out one quarter dough till 1/5 inch thick. I used a pasta attachment.
Cut out circles using a 2 inch cookie cutter.
Prick circles with a fork so they do not puff up when fried.
Heat 2 cups oil in a wok or kadhai. A deep circular pan works best.
Test oil with a small bit of dough. It should spring to the surface immediately.
Fry mathri for 3-4 minutes on one side till light brown, then flip and brown on the other side.
Drain on a rack.
Cool mathri and place in an airtight tin.
John and Geets plan a joint celebration. We wait in anticipation for the festivities to begin. Let the good times roll.
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