Easy Crispy Flaky Mathri or Mathiya ready in minutes for a quick tea-time snack, chai parties, or festive cravings. Deep fry, air fry or bake them, showing your all three methods and common mistakes I have made in the past and how to avoid them.
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- Ingredients
- How to make Mathris / Mathiya
- Deep Frying Mathri / Mathiya
- Air Frying Mathri / Mathiya
- Baking Mathri / Mathiya
- Anvita’s Top Tip
- Common Mistakes to avoid and how to fix them
- Final Thoughts
- More Recipes to try
- Easy Crispy Mathri / Mathiya
Growing up, mathri (mathiya) was one of my favorite festive snacks, all thanks to my aunt who made the best mathris in the world. Crispy, flaky, and just the right amount of spice, they made every celebration feel extra special. Now I often bake mathris for my son and he enjoys them too.
After making them for years now I can share my tips on how to make sure the Mathris are crispy, and cooked completely through. In this post, I am sharing how to fry, air-fry and even bake Mathris.
Ingredients
You don’t need fancy ingredients to make Mathri, just basic flours like all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, flavored with spices such as carom seeds, black pepper, and dried fenugreek leaves, and ghee. See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Mathris / Mathiya
- Mix the flour, salt, carom seeds, roasted cumimn powder, black pepper, and kasuri methi well in a big bowl.
- Add melted ghee, and rub it into the flour until it looks like tiny crumbs.
- Slowly add water little by little and mix to make a stiff dough. The dough should be firm, not soft. Just bring the dough together don’t have to knead it.
- Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Make small balls from the dough, about the size of a tablespoon.
- Flatten each ball with your palm and press the middle lightly with your thumb.
Deep Frying Mathri / Mathiya
- Heat oil in a pan on low to medium heat.
- Fry the mathris slowly until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Put them on paper towels to remove extra oil.
- Let them cool before you store them in a container.
Air Frying Mathri / Mathiya
- Preheat air fryer to 160°C (320°F) for 3 minutes.
- Lightly brush the air fryer basket with oil.
- Place mathris in a single layer without overlapping.
- Air fry at 160°C (320°F) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Mathris will be slightly paler but crispy.
- Let cool before storing.
Baking Mathri / Mathiya
- Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Place mathris on a greased baking tray in a single layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping mathris after 10-12 minutes.
- Bake until light golden brown and crispy.
- Remove and cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
Anvita’s Top Tip
- Use melted ghee (not solid) when mixing the dough to avoid lumps and get a smooth, crumbly texture.
- Add very little water and do not over-knead the dough. The dough should be firm, similar to papdi dough, which helps make the mathri crispy and flaky.
- Fry mathris on low to medium heat slowly. If the oil is too hot, mathris turn golden outside but stay raw inside.
- Let the fried mathris cool completely before storing to keep them crunchy.
Common Mistakes to avoid and how to fix them
This is what I have learned by experience to make the perfect mathris.
| Common Mistake | What Happened to My Mathri | How I Fixed It |
|---|---|---|
| I used too much water in the dough & all at once | My mathri turned soft and chewy, not crispy | I learned to add water little by little; the dough should be firm like papdi dough |
| I over-kneaded the dough | The mathris became hard and dense | Now I mix the dough just enough to bring it together and avoid over-kneading |
| I didn’t rub ghee well into the flour | The mathri wasn’t flaky or crumbly | I started using melted ghee and rubbing it well till it looked like breadcrumbs |
| I fried mathris in very hot oil | They browned outside but stayed raw inside | I fry on low to medium heat slowly for even cooking now |
| I fried too many mathris at once | Oil temperature dropped, so mathris absorbed more oil | I fry in small batches to keep the oil hot and crisp mathris better |
| I stored mathris before cooling | They turned soggy | I always let mathri cool completely on a rack before storing |
| I used only whole wheat flour | Mathris were dense or tough | Now I mix in some all-purpose or semolina flour for better texture |
Final Thoughts
Making mathri at home is easier than you think! With these simple steps and pro tips, you can enjoy crispy, flaky, and flavorful mathris anytime. Whether you fry, air fry, or bake them, each method gives a delicious snack perfect for tea time or festive occasions. Give this recipe a try, and share your lovely creations with us on Instagram. We’d love to see your mathri moments-tag us and join the fun! Happy cooking and crunchy snacking!
More Recipes to try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Soft & Spongy Khaman Dhokla in 20 minutes
- Easy Make Ahead Mawa Gujiya
- Air Fryer Punjabi Samosa Recipe
- Badam Halwa in 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour maida
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds ajwain, crushed
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves kasuri methi, crushed
- ½ cup melted ghee clarified butter
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- About 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, carom seeds, black pepper, and kasuri methi well in a big bowl.
- Add melted ghee, and rub it into the flour until it looks like tiny crumbs.
- Slowly add water little by little and mix to make a stiff dough. The dough should be firm, not soft.
- Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Make small balls from the dough, about the size of a marble.
- Flatten each ball with your palm and press the middle lightly with your thumb.
Deep Frying
- Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep pan on medium-low heat.
- Test the oil by dropping a small dough piece; it should slowly rise with bubbles.
- Gently place mathris in the oil (few at a time).
- Fry on low to medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy (about 4-6 minutes).
- Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Let cool completely before storing.
Air Frying Mathri
- Preheat air fryer to 160°C (320°F) for 3 minutes.
- Lightly brush the air fryer basket with oil.
- Place mathris in a single layer without overlapping.
- Air fry at 160°C (320°F) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Mathris will be slightly paler but crispy.
- Let cool before storing.
Baking Mathri
- Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Place mathris on a greased baking tray in a single layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping mathris after 10-12 minutes.
- Bake until light golden brown and crispy.
- Remove and cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
Video
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour maida
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds ajwain, crushed
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves kasuri methi, crushed
- ½ cup melted ghee clarified butter
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- About 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, carom seeds, black pepper, and kasuri methi well in a big bowl.
- Add melted ghee, and rub it into the flour until it looks like tiny crumbs.
- Slowly add water little by little and mix to make a stiff dough. The dough should be firm, not soft.
- Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Make small balls from the dough, about the size of a marble.
- Flatten each ball with your palm and press the middle lightly with your thumb.
Deep Frying
- Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep pan on medium-low heat.
- Test the oil by dropping a small dough piece; it should slowly rise with bubbles.
- Gently place mathris in the oil (few at a time).
- Fry on low to medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy (about 4-6 minutes).
- Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Let cool completely before storing.
Air Frying Mathri
- Preheat air fryer to 160°C (320°F) for 3 minutes.
- Lightly brush the air fryer basket with oil.
- Place mathris in a single layer without overlapping.
- Air fry at 160°C (320°F) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Mathris will be slightly paler but crispy.
- Let cool before storing.
Baking Mathri
- Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Place mathris on a greased baking tray in a single layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping mathris after 10-12 minutes.
- Bake until light golden brown and crispy.
- Remove and cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
