Indian Snacks - Cilantro Mathri

Cilantro Mathri is one of the popular Indian snack recipes that's loved by all! These fried savory Indian veggie biscuits/crisps are quick and easy to make.

They can be made in 30 minutes using basic pantry staples.

Festive season prep

This time of the year is my favorite! Holidays are just around the corner and many of us have already started preparing a variety of festive food (sweet and savory) for all to enjoy.

I prefer savory snacks to sweet ones, so I'm more inclined to making savory treats! 

Which is why I often make Banana Chips, Kara Boondi, or Thattai. 

If you want to check out all the savory snack recipes that can be made for Diwali, check out this post.

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What is Mathri

Today, let's make Cilantro Mathri. Mathris are (mostly) disc-shaped savory Indian snacks made using any kind of flour or a combination of flours and herbs.

They tend to have a crispy yet flaky texture and are traditionally fried.

These savory crackers/biscuits are a popular traditional tea-time snack. They are also made during Indian festivals like Holi and Diwali. 

Why I love it

Making Mathris during the festive season is a must for us! They are made in almost every Indian household during this time. In fact, there are many families that make this throughout the year!

Here are some reasons why I love this crunchy and delicious Indian snack:

• They are quick and easy to make
• Can be prepared under 30 minutes
• It has a longer shelf life and is made without any preservatives
• They make great on-the-go snacks
• These vegetarian chips or crackers can easily be made vegan
• You can also use them for gifting during the holidays

Making these veggie crisps at home is really simple because they are made using basic pantry ingredients like flour, sesame seeds, spices, yogurt, and lots of cilantro. 

Here's how to make it

This is a very easy to make snack.

1. In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, maida or all-purpose flour, sesame seeds, paprika, turmeric powder, and salt.
2. Then add chopped cilantro.
3. Followed by yogurt.
4. Mix all the ingredients together. Knead into a soft dough using oil and water as required. 
5. Make small balls of the dough, flatten each ball with a rolling pin. 
   • Prick all over with a fork. This prevents them from puffing while frying.
   • Using a cookie cutter, cut out desired shapes, 1/4 inch thick.
6. Now heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry them in batches until both sides are light golden brown. 
   • As they are fried and cooked they will start to float to the top. This should take about 5-7 minutes over a medium flame.
   • Place them on a kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil.
   • Cool them completely before serving or storing. As they cool, they will get more crispy and become slightly dark in color.

These yummy Cilantro Mathri are now ready to be enjoyed as a light snack with your hot coffee or tea. When stored in airtight containers they stay fresh for 3 weeks.

Currently, Rice Krispies Chiwda, Omapodi, and these Indian savory biscuits are my favorites!

Indian snack recipes like these are a keeper! Save them. For all the upcoming holidays, Mathries make a good snack to have around to serve all guests. Happy munching!!

Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions

Use fresh cilantro in this recipe. You can experiment with the flavor of these veggie crisps by adding methi/fenugreek leaves, palak/spinach, mint leaves, or mixed herbs.

Cover the prepared dough with a wet cloth to prevent it from drying. The dough can be prepared in advance and be frozen or refrigerated. 

To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should make the oil sizzle and come up slowly. If the mathris are cooked on high heat, they will be soft. Fry on medium heat.

To make it vegan, skip adding yogurt and use water instead to knead the dough. You can swap the flours used with multigrain flours. Adding semolina or rava will give it a coarse and crispy texture.

Don't want to fry them? You can bake them too! Bake them for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown in the oven at 400 degrees F.

Just note, the thicker they are, the longer it will take to bake. You can even air-fry these Indian biscuits.

Cilantro chips

Cilantro Mathri is one of the popular Indian snack recipes that's loved by all! These fried savory Indian veggie biscuits/crisps are quick and easy to make. It can be made in 30 minutes using basic pantry staples.

4.65 from 14 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 141.53kcal

Author: Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Frying pan

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup rice flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or maida
• ▢ 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• ▢ 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• ▢ 1/4 cup curd
• ▢ 1 tbsp oil
• ▢ 2 tbsp paprika
• ▢ Salt
• ▢ Water to knead the dough
• ▢ Oil for frying

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, maida or all-purpose flour, sesame seeds, paprika, turmeric powder, and salt.
• Then add chopped cilantro.
• Followed by yogurt.
• Mix all the ingredients together. Knead into a soft dough using oil and water as required.
• Make small balls of the dough, flatten each ball with a rolling pin.
• Prick all over with a fork. This prevents them from puffing while frying.
• Using a cookie cutter, cut out desired shapes, 1/4 inch thick.
• Now heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry them in batches until both sides are a light golden brown.
• As they are fried and cooked they will start to float on top. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
• Keep them on a kitchen towel to soak the excess oil.
• Cool them completely before serving or storing. As it cools, it will get more crispy and become slightly dark in color.

Notes

Use fresh cilantro in this recipe. You can experiment with the flavor of these veggie crisps by adding methi/fenugreek leaves, palak/spinach, mint leaves, or mixed herbs.

Cover the prepared dough with a wet cloth to prevent it from drying. The dough can be prepared in advance and be frozen or refrigerated. 

To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should make the oil sizzle and come up slowly. If the mathris are cooked on high heat, they will be soft. Fry on medium heat.

To make it vegan, skip adding yogurt and use water instead to knead the dough. You can swap the flours used with multigrain flours. Adding semolina or rava will give it a coarse and crispy texture.

Don't want to fry them? You can bake them too! Bake them for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown in the oven at 400 degrees F.

Just note, the thicker they are, the longer it will take to bake. You can even air-fry them.

Nutrition

Calories: 141.53kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.65g | Protein: 3.35g | Fat: 3.79g | Saturated Fat: 0.45g | Sodium: 2.33mg | Potassium: 78.06mg | Fiber: 1.61g | Sugar: 0.26g | Vitamin A: 904.8IU | Vitamin C: 0.27mg | Calcium: 37.52mg | Iron: 1.21mg

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