Khapli Wheat Mathri

Vs Muthiya: What Makes These Tea-Time Snacks Different From One Another

Quick Summary

One is Rajasthani, and one is Gujarati, and if they were the Karan Arjun of Bollywood, their mother would be tea-time. While neither is healthy, being fried and made with maida strips the snack of any nutrients. That does not make maida evil; you just need to consciously notice what you eat. That being said, if you want a healthier twist to these classic tea-time snacks, you should make them with Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta. 

Deep Dive

Mathri and muthiya have opposite personalities, despite both being savoury. One is deep-fried, thin and crispy like a cracker (mathri), the other one is softer and denser, tending to be steamed (muthiya), that might be fried as well. As for swapping the base for either, start with understanding what works with the introduced ingredient – the khapli atta – and what’s needed when the base of besan or chickpea flour and wheat flour changes. Read on to learn about both snacks that are integral parts of their respective cultures and how you can make them more nutritious with khapli wheat.

What is Mathri?

Mathri (also called mathiya or mathari) is a crispy, flaky, deep-fried snack that originated in Rajasthan and is popular across North India. The dough is made with whole wheat and a bit of besan and semolina, and intentionally made stiff, not crumbly and hard. These are mixed with fat, usually oil, spices like ajwain, methi, kalonji, and crushed peppercorns. The dough is rested and then shaped into flat discs and fried.

What is Muthiya?

Muthiya (or muthia) is a Gujarati snack that is one of the many farsans that the Gujjus love. The word comes from ‘mutthi’, meaning fist, because the mixture is shaped by squeezing dough through a closed fist to form short, compact cylinders. Unlike mathri, muthiya starts with a wet, sticky dough made with grated vegetables (commonly bottle gourd or dudhi, or fresh fenugreek or methi leaves), wheat flour, besan, semolina, spices, a little sugar, with a typical Gujarati spice tempering.

Why Khapli Wheat Works Well Here

Khapli atta has a naturally nutty, earthy flavour and a firmer texture compared to regular whole wheat flour. It is coarser and slightly more absorbent, so water ratios need minor adjustment. Start with a little less water than usual and add gradually.

For mathri, this works in the snack's favour: the denser grain structure means the mathri stays dry and holds its crunch longer. The nuttiness of khapli wheat comes through clearly in every bite, adding an earthy flavour that plain maida or regular atta lacks. The fat still distributes well through the dough, producing good flakiness.

For muthiya, khapli atta adds substance. The slightly coarser flour absorbs moisture from the vegetables evenly, which prevents the rolls from going mushy. After steaming, the finished muthiya is firmer, which does not crumble into a heap, making the tempering step easier, and giving the snack a more satisfying and filling nature.

In both cases, the feeling of fullness after eating is more pronounced with khapli wheat because it is nutritionally denser, and what you are replacing is the typical whole wheat with something that has more fibre, protein, iron and vitamin B1, like Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta. More fibre promotes fullness for a longer time as fibre takes time to digest and keeps blood sugar spikes and crashes and hunger at bay.

Khapli Wheat Mathri Recipe

Ingredients

For the dough:

• Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta: 2 cups

• Besan (optional): ¼ cup

• Fine rava: 6 tablespoons

• Salt (adjust to taste): 1 teaspoon 

• Ajwain: 1 teaspoon

• Kasuri methi: 1 tablespoon

• Kalonji (optional): 1 teaspoon

• Crushed pepper: 1 teaspoon

• Oil: 6 tablespoons

• Water (adjust to taste): ¾ cup

• Oil for frying: 2 cups (reduce if not using besan)

Method

1. Add khapli atta, besan, semolina, ajwain, kalonji, black pepper, kasuri methi, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

2. Heat the oil in a kadhai, around 6 tablespoons. Once hot, add it to the flour-spice bowl and mix. 

3. Create a well in the centre, and pour half a cup of water. Mix slowly to form a tight dough. Wait for a bit before adding more water, as the dough might take a little bit more time to hydrate. Cover the dough, and rest for 10 minutes, more if needed.

4. After resting the dough, take lemon-sized portions of the dough and roll them into balls. Some cracks are fine. 

5. Flatten each dough ball starting from the centre to the edges to make discs, making sure they aren’t too thick or too thin. Arrange on a plate. 

6. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai on medium-low heat until slightly hot. Test with a mathri; it should sink and then bubble up to the surface. The oil should not be extremely hot, otherwise the mathris won’t cook well and might burn.

7. Add mathris to the oil and fry them on low heat, so they don’t burn. Let them fry, then strain into a colander. Let them cool, then store them in an air-tight jar.

Khapli Wheat Dudhi Muthiya Recipe

Ingredients

For the muthiya:

• Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta: 1½ cups

• Fine rava: ¼ cup

• Besan: ¼ cup

• Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

• Kashmiri red chilli powder: ¾ tsp

• Coriander powder: ½ tsp

• Jeera powder: ¼ tsp

• Garam masala: ½ tsp

• Ajwain seeds: ¼ tsp

• Saunf: ½ tsp

• Sugar: 1 tbsp

• Hing: a pinch

• Salt: ½ tsp

• Lauki, grated: 2 cups

• Ginger paste: ½ tsp

• Green chilli, finely chopped: 1

• Fresh Coriander, finely chopped: 2 tbsp

• Curd: 1 tbsp

• Oil: 1 tbsp

For the tempering:

• Oil: 2 tbsp

• Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

• Sesame seeds: 2 tsp

• Hing: a pinch

• Curry leaves: a few

• Grated coconut: 2 tbsp

• Coriander, chopped: 2 tbsp

Method

1. Take a large mixing bowl and add the khapli atta, rava, besan, turmeric, red chilli, coriander, cumin powder, garam masala, ajwain seeds, saunf, sugar, hing, salt, lauki, ginger paste, green chilli, curd, and oil. Mix well. 

2. Set aside for 20 minutes for the lauki or bottle gourd to release water. Then add water and make a smooth dough. 

3. Divide the dough into two halves if you want to try both the steamed and fried versions. From one dough, pinch out a sizable portion of the dough and roll it into a cylinder. Repeat and steam them for 20 minutes.

4. Take off the heat, let them cool until warm and slice them. 

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a kadai, heat and add the tempering ingredients till they splutter. Add the muthiya into them and mix well, until both sides are crisp. 

6. Add in sliced muthiya and mix well. Serve with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

7. For the fried version, shape the saved dough into small, longish cylinders. Shallow fry or deep fry them. Drain the oil and serve with sides. 

Tea-Time Snacking with Khapli Atta

Make in bulk and store them away, for the rainy season is almost here and instead of wasting away in the kitchen and making pakoras, you can munch on these instead. With khapli atta replacing whole wheat, you get a slightly better nutritional profile with fibre and protein in it. The taste is also unique that might just make snacking a joy with lesser guilt involved.