.....From My Palate

North India Recipe

Mathari – Indian Salted Crackers

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Mathari is a popular snack in north India. These deep fried Indian crackers mostly served with mango pickle. In the time, when snack defines varieties of cookies, cakes and other processed and packaged food. Traditionally in India snack is a food, cooked with the things easily available at home. Shakarpare, Mithi Mathari, Chivda, Besan ke Sev are the name of the few snacks in the list. Mathari is popular because it is easy to store for longer period. It’s salty, crunchy taste with spicy sour pickle tingles your taste bud in to instant action. Even now mathris are the must item on many festivals. Holi, Karwachauth, Diwali just to name a few.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups Maida (All-Purpose Flour)
  • 1/2 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour)
  • 1/4 cup Sooji (Semolina)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
  • 1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) , dried & crushed
  • 4 tablespoons Oil
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm Water (use as needed)
  • Oil to fry(You can add crushed black pepper, red pepper pd, anardana pd for masala Mathari)

Method

  • Take all-purpose flour in big bowl.
  • Add whole wheat flour, sooji, ajwain, kasuri methi, salt and oil. Mix it well.
  • Knead it into a stiff dough with a help of lukewarm water little at a time.
  • Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
  • Knead it slightly and make small balls from the dough.
  • Roll the balls into small thick rounds and prick them with a fork all around, so they will not puff up while frying.
  • Heat oil in a deep pan and fry mathris in small batches on low heat.(first add them on medium heat and after few seconds lower the flame).
  • Fry till they become golden in color, drain on a kitchen towel when done.
  • Serve with mango pickle when cooled.

Kadhi With Methi Pyaaz Pakodas

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Kadhi or karhi is a yogurt based North Indian dish with gram flour fritters called pakodas. Kadhi chawal are as famous in North India as Pasta in Italy. Sweet or tangy, thick or thin, spicy with chillies or without, who can resist Kadhi Chawal in a sunny afternoon over a spicy talk with friends and family. Its method of cooking are different in different states of India.
In Punjab Kadhi is preferred as spicy and sour whereas in Gujarat its more sweeter and thin with a dash of jaggery. Sindhis like their kadhi watery and without yogurt and maharastrians have their recipe with mustard seeds and curry leaves. What ever the recipes are, you still crave for the kadhi recipe of your mother. That’s the best recipe because your childhood memories are still fresh with the bowl of steaming kadhi chawal with a mirchi ka tadka(in north tempering with red chillies and hing over kadhi is a must thing)made by you mom. How much you try still that taste is missing…guessing that’s her love.

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This Kadhi is slightly different from my mom’s version. I added methi and pyaaz pakodas in place of plain gram flour pakodas.

Ingredients

For Pakodas

  • 3/4 cup Besan (Gram Flour)
  • 1 medium Onion, chopped
  • 1 cup Methi (Fenugreek leaves), chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
  • Red chilli powder to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil to fry

(You can also add green chillies and garlic if you like the taste)

For Kadhi

  • 1 cup Dahi (Yogurt)
  • 1/4 cup Besan (Gram Flour)
  • 1 teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric Powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Methi Dana (Fenugreek Seeds)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
  • Red chilli powder to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons Oil
  • 2 dried Red Chillies
  • pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
  • Ginger, Chopped inch piece
  • 3 cups Water

Method

  • Mix all the ingredients for pakodas with a little bit of water at a time.
  • Make it in to a thick batter consistency for fritters.
  • Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Drop small portions of the pakoda mixture with a help of a spoon or hand and deep fry till golden brown.
  • Drain and place on a kitchen paper and set aside. (you can taste one or two with a cup of tea while doing other preparations :-)) Mix first four ingredients for kadhi in a big bowl.
  • Whisk it thoroughly to make sure that there are no lumps. Add three cups of water and mix it well again.
  • Heat two tablespoons of oil in a kadai. Add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and red chillies.
  • Pop for few seconds. Add hing and ginger, fry for sometime. Add yogurt mixture. Bring to a boil, add salt and simmer on low heat for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.(cooking time is different in different households according to thick or thin consistency)
  • Add fried pakoras and continue to simmer for four to five minutes. Tempering by choice- .
  • Heat ghee in a large ladle or small pan. Add asafoetida and red chilli pd.
  • Stir quickly with a teaspoon and be careful it should not burn. Pour it over the kadhi.
  • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
  • Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.