Healthy Methi Mathri (Air Fryer | Baked)
Methi Mathri made in the air fryer or baked is a lighter, healthier alternative to the traditional deep-fried version. Enjoy the perfect balance of crispy texture and aromatic fenugreek flavor with less oil and all the taste.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
- ¼ cup sorghum flour (jowar atta)
- ¼ cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, slightly crushed (Kasuri methi)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder ,adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 5 tablespoons ghee or oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 5-6 tablespoons cold water to knead or as needed
Instructions
PREPARE THE DOUGH
- In a large bowl, combine atta (whole wheat flour), jowar atta (Sorghum flour), and besan (chickpea flour). Next, add the seasonings – Kasuri methi, red chili powder, turmeric powder, carom seeds (ajwain), sesame seeds, baking powder, ghee or oil, and salt to taste.
- Mix all the ingredients with your hands. Take the flour mixture between your palms and rub it to form a crumbly breadcrumb-like texture. When you hold the mixture in your fist, it should hold its shape and not crumble.
- Gradually, add cold water and form a stiff dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.Note: Make the dough firm not soft, or else the mathri will not be khasta (crunchy).
ROLL THE DOUGH
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Shape the dough into balls and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
- Take a dough ball and roll it to ½ centimeter thickness. Using a fork, poke the mathris so that they don’t puff up while baking.
- Now, using a cookie cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into desired shapes. I used round and square cookie cutters to shape the mathri. You can use a sharp knife and cut it into a square shape, about 1 ½ inches in dimensions.
- Place the shaped mathri onto a lined baking sheet. Leave some space between the mathri, so that they cook evenly on all sides.
BAKE MATHRI
- (Optional) Lightly spray the mathri with cooking spray. This gives a nice brown color to the mathri. You can also use a pastry brush and brush each mathri with some oil.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes, turning halfway. The mathri will be slightly soft and will have some brown color on the top. At this point, remove the baking sheet and place it on a cooling rack.Note: Baked mathri will have some carry-over cooking time. This means, once they come out of the oven, it continues to cook in the residual heat. You want to take them out of the oven, one shade lighter than you would like the mathri.
- Allow mathri to cool completely. Serve or store in an air-tight container
AIR FRYER MATHRI
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes.
- Place the shaped mathris in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between them to allow for proper air circulation.
- Air Fry the mathris for about 12-15 minutes. You may need to flip them halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. Cooking time may vary depending on the air fryer model, so keep an eye on them.
- Once the mathris are golden brown and crispy, remove them from the air fryer and let them cool.
- Allow the methi mathri to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.
Notes
Pro Tips
- Before adding water to foam a dough, make sure the flour mixture has a breadcrumb-like texture. This is what makes the crust for mathri flaky or “khasta”, as we call it in Hindi.
- Always use ice-cold water to form a dough for the pastry.
- Use minimum water to knead the dough into a tight ball. Do NOT over knead the dough.
- Allow the dough to rest for a minimum of 10 minutes. It makes it easy to work with the dough.
- Keep the dough covered at all times, to prevent it from drying.
- You can shape the mathri using a cookie cutter or simply use a sharp knife to cut it into a square shape.
- Keep the shaped mathri covered, to prevent it from drying.
- Once the mathri is cool completely, store it in a clean, air-tight glass container. The mathri stays good for up to a month.
- Temperature cooking can sometimes be quite tricky. Please use timing as a guideline. Different oven/air fryers work on different temperature settings. Keep a close eye on these while baking/air frying as these can go from perfectly baked to burnt in no time.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Methi Mathri (Air Fryer | Baked)
Amount per Serving
Calories
41
% Daily Value*
Fat
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
6
mg
2
%
Sodium
3
mg
0
%
Potassium
25
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
4
g
1
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
0.1
g
0
%
Protein
1
g
2
%
Vitamin A
5
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
0.002
mg
0
%
Calcium
3
mg
0
%
Iron
0.2
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
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