Are you ready to treat your taste buds with Moong Dal Masala Mathri? It’s an ultimate snack that will make your tea time and festive gatherings even more special! These crunchy bites are easy to make in large batches and can last for up to a month, perfect for when those snack cravings strike.

Every crispy piece is packed with flavor, thanks to the delicious crunch of moong dal, which will keep you coming back for more! They’re so tasty that you might forget all about the pickle! These Moong Dal Atta Mathris are great for sharing with friends, giving as Diwali snack gifts, or impressing your guests during celebrations like Diwali.

moong Dal Mathri on a pink board, diya on the side.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Storage
Top tip
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Moong Dal Masala Mathri

Mathri is a beloved crunchy snack from North India, often enjoyed during festivals such as Diwali and Karwa Chauth. It has a few different names, like Mathiya or Mathi.

This special recipe of Moong Dal Masala Mathri combines moong dal (a type of lentil) with whole wheat flour, making it nutritious. The dough is also made with semolina, ghee (clarified butter), kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and a mix of spices. These ingredients come together to create a delicious flavor. You can shape the Mathris any way you like, oval, round, whatever you prefer! They go wonderfully with tea, coffee, or even pickles.

While I love the traditional deep-fried version for its amazing crunch, I also tried baking them in the oven, and they turned out great! This recipe shares instructions for both cooking methods, so you can pick what works best for you. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Moong Dal: I used split yellow moong dal for this recipe, but you can also use it with the skin on. The only difference will be the color of the finished product.
Whole Wheat Flour: Instead of using all-purpose flour (maida), I opted for whole wheat flour (atta) to make this a healthier snack.
Semolina: I used fine semolina (suji), which helps make the mathris crispy and delicious.
Spices: A variety of spices are used to enhance the flavor, including black peppercorns, carrom seeds (ajwain), red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, sesame seeds, nigella seeds (kalonji), dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), and a pinch of asafetida (hing).
Ghee: For flavoring, I recommend using ghee, which is a type of clarified butter. You can use oil if you prefer, but ghee really brings out the best taste.
Oil for Deep Frying: You’ll need oil for frying the mathris until they’re golden and crispy.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: To make tasty Moong Dal Mathris, start by soaking the lentils (known as dal) in water for about 3 to 4 hours. After that, drain the lentils and let them sit in a colander for about 10 minutes to remove any extra water.

Step 2: Next, put the lentils in a blender and grind them into a coarse paste. You can use a couple of tablespoon of water if you’re finding it difficult to grind the dal.

mix all Indian spices and flour in big mixing bowl.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, combine the lentil paste with whole wheat flour, semolina (sooji), dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi), black pepper, carom seeds (ajwain), red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, sesame seeds, nigella seeds (kalonji), and a pinch of asafetida (hing) along with some ghee (clarified butter).

Step 4: Mix everything well to form a soft dough. If the dough feels too sticky, add a little more whole wheat flour until it has the right consistency, similar to chapati dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5: In another bowl, mix ¼ cup of all-purpose flour with 3 tablespoons of ghee to create a smooth paste. Set this aside for later.

Step 6: Once the dough has rested, divide it into 8 equal pieces. Take one piece and, while keeping the others covered, lightly dust it with flour. Roll it out into a 7 to 8-inch round shape.

apply ghee flour paste on rolled dough, form a log and cut into pieces.

Step 7: Spread some of the ghee-flour paste evenly on the surface, then roll the disk tightly into a log shape. Cut the log into small pieces using a knife or pizza cutter; you should get about 13 to 14 pieces.

Step 8: Take each piece, give it a gentle press, and then roll it out into a medium-thick disc, making just one or two passes with the rolling pin; don’t roll it too thin. Repeat the same steps with the remaining dough and keep everything covered.

Step 9: Now heat the oil. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, carefully add a few mathris at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry them on low to medium heat until they turn golden brown. Once cooked, take them out and place them on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Step 10: Your delicious Moong Dal masala Mathris are ready to enjoy!

Storage

Once the Masala Moong dal Mathris are cooked, let them cool down completely, and then store them in a dry, airtight container. They can stay fresh for about a month.

Top tip

When you’re preparing to make mathris, it’s really important to drain the soaked dal properly, so don’t skip that step!
When grinding the dal, try to retain some texture instead of turning it into a smooth paste. This little tip will help make your mathris crispy and delicious.
Please don’t hold back on using ghee (which is clarified butter) in the recipe; it adds a lot of flavor and helps achieve that wonderful flaky texture!
After you’ve made the dough, let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes.
When you’re ready to fry the mathris, make sure the oil is heated to a medium temperature. It should be hot enough to cook them, but not so hot that it starts to smoke. Take your time with this step. It might take a bit of practice, but the tasty results will definitely be worth it!
Feel free to modify the spices based on what you like!
If you prefer, you can use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour, or even a mix of both.
Don’t worry if you don’t have dried fenugreek leaves (called kasuri methi); you can skip them without any issue.
You can easily make a small batch or a large batch of mathris, depending on what you need.
Just remember: if you make them thicker, they will be chewier, and if they are thinner, they might turn out too crispy. Make sure you roll it into medium-thickness mathris for the best results!