When I was a young girl, I used to visit my nanihaal in Jaipur every year in school holidays. My mum, an only daughter, is very close to her brothers and mother. So this was our yearly pilgrimage. We never used to go anywhere else but Jaipur. But those were simpler times before the internet. We did not know that you could go to other places and travel around the world. Jaipur was very exciting and the only holiday for us. We had no other expectations and used to look forward to the train journey and meeting our uncles, aunts and cousins. They were fun times.
In an extended family, with lots of kids, breakfast or evening tea was simple home made affair. My grandmother or nani was a great cook. She used to make mathri for us as a snack. They were these crisp, fried pieces of dough that were yum. The smell and the taste are something that I will never forget.
I have carried on the legacy and make them for my boys just like my mum makes them for yash when he goes to his nanihaal. In Australia, this is a treat and both my husband and yash appreciate me for it. Usually, it is a few hour affair for us – i make it in bulk so that it lasts a few months. Here is the recipe!
- 1 Kg Plain Flour (Maida)
- 250 g Sooji (Semolina)
- 1 tsp Ajwain (aniseed)
- 4 Tbsp oil or ghee
- 2 tsp salt
Directions
- Mix Maida, Sooji and all the dry ingredients.
- Add the oil and mix well. The mixture should be short and hold when you try and make a fist.
- Add water slowly to make a hard but smooth dough. I usually make it in my dough maker. The key is to add water slowly to not make it sticky.
- Take a decent sized ball and roll it to make it a flat circle. It should neither be too thick nor too thin.
- Cut diagonal shapes or any other shapes you like. I sometimes se small cookie cutter to cut diff shapes for my son.
- Fry it in hot oil till golden brown.
- You can store them in air tight container for at least 2 months (if they last that long)
