Missing Mudit's Mom's Mathri + Chai

Fall is in the air, which means it will soon be two years since seeing Mudit’s family. My only consolation is that during that time, I have become almost half as good as Mudit’s mom at making my favorite Indian snacks — mathri + chai.

These snacks greet visitors in almost any Indian home, and Mudit’s mom is a master of both. They are the perfect blend of savory and sweet, and while they are available everywhere, they’re never as good as when Mudit’s mom makes them.

Over the past year and a half, I have slowly gotten better at both recipes, and although nothing’s quite like the real thing, I’m now proficient enough to share. We hope to visit again soon. In the meantime, here’s something to cozy up with this fall.

INGREDIENTS

Mathri - Makes 20

2 cups Maida flour if you have it (or cake flour if you do not. It’s what I used, and is pretty close in texture to the real thing)

1/4 cup Canola oil (for dough), plus more for frying

0.75 tsp salt

0.5 - 1 tsp Ajwain seeds

1/4 cup water

Chai - Makes 2 mugs of tea

1 mug milk

1 mug water

3 heaping tsp tea

2 inches ginger root

6 cardamom pods

3 Tbs sugar (or to taste)

RECIPE

Mathri

First, I may have bought a lifetime supply of Ajwain seeds from Amazon for this recipe. No matter. This recipe must have Ajwain seeds (sometimes called “carom seeds”). Otherwise, it will not taste right. And now I can make this recipe ~1,091 times because I have so many Ajwain seeds.

It turns out 4.8 oz of Ajwain seeds is a lot of Ajwain seeds.

Measure flour and add Ajwain seeds, salt, and oil. Mix thoroughly with both hands into an evenly crumbled texture.

Add water gradually and make a tight dough.

Make small balls. It will be around 20 balls. Flatten these balls in a round shape, about the size of a silver dollar, and about a quarter of an inch thick. Use a Chakla/ Belan if you have one or a rolling pin and cutting board if you do not.

Use a fork to make 4 to 5 punches on each mathri.

Pour oil in a deep fry pan or wok, and make medium hot. Gas should be on medium during the whole process. Slide flattened rounds in oil so that the oil is full but the mathri’s are not on top of each other. Each mathri should have its own space.

Fry until the mathris become light brown. Take them out and let them cool and drain on paper towels. Store in an air tight container, and will keep for at least a week.

Chai

Fill your favorite big mug with water and pour into a pot with a long handle. Fill the same mug with milk and pour into the pot. Set pot to medium heat. Measure three heaping teaspoons of tea. Use loose black tea granules (I recommend Taj Mahal tea), though you can use full leaf or even tea bags if necessary. But Indian black tea granules will taste best.

Rinse ginger and roughly dice it small (no need to remove the skin). Add to pot.

Beat cardamom seeds via mortar and pestle and add to pot. Add sugar.

Turn up heat so that the pot allllllmost boils over and turn off the heat just in time so that it does not. Repeat three times. And yes, I resurrected my YouTube account, SuperCKriss, for the first time in six years to upload this chai boil video. While there, you may also enjoy this long lost Yes We Cook episode of Thai Green Curry with Shrimp.

Pour chai through a hand strainer into each mug and discard tea / cardamom / etc.

Enjoy a delicious and restorative afternoon snack. Miss your family.