Mathiya Recipe: Crispy Kathiyawadi Mathia for Diwali

Mathiya (also called mathia or mathri) is a thin, crispy Kathiyawadi snack made every Diwali in Saurashtra homes. A good mathiya is paper-thin, crackles when you bite it and stays crisp for weeks in a dabba. This recipe uses the traditional Kathiyawadi mix of maida and moong dal flour with ajwain and crushed black pepper. Makes about 40 pieces.

Mathiya Recipe: Crispy Kathiyawadi Mathia for Diwali

Mathiya at a glance

DetailThis recipe
Flours2 cups maida + 1 cup moong dal flour
Moyan4 tablespoons hot oil or ghee
DoughStiff and tight; rest 20 to 30 minutes
SizeRolled as thin as possible, about 3 inches wide
FryingLow heat, 4 to 5 per batch, about 4 to 5 minutes
Keeps3 to 4 weeks airtight at room temperature

What Ingredients Do You Need for Mathiya?

  • 2 cups maida (all-purpose flour)
  • 1 cup moong dal flour (yellow moong dal ground to a fine powder)
  • 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds), lightly crushed
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely crushed
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 4 tablespoons hot oil or ghee (for the moyan)
  • Water, as needed for a stiff dough
  • Oil for deep frying

Prep checklist

  • Grind the yellow moong dal to a fine powder and sift it so no gritty bits remain.
  • Crush the ajwain and black pepper coarsely.
  • Keep water in a small cup and add a spoon at a time; a stiff dough needs less than you expect.
  • Have a fork ready for pricking, and a tray or cloth to lay out rolled mathiya.
  • If you are making a big batch, ask someone to fry while you roll.

How to Make Mathiya Dough?

  1. Mix maida, moong dal flour, ajwain, pepper and salt in a wide bowl.
  2. Heat 4 tablespoons oil until hot and pour it over the flour. Rub it in with your fingers until the mix holds a shape when pressed in your fist. This moyan step is what makes the mathiya flaky.
  3. Add water little by little and knead a stiff, tight dough. Softer dough gives soft mathiya, so keep it firm.
  4. Cover and rest the dough for 20 to 30 minutes.

Dough check: a pinched piece should feel firm and smooth, and it should not stick to your fingers. If the edges crack badly when you press a ball flat, knead in a few drops of water; if it feels soft and sticky, it will make soft mathiya.

How to Roll and Fry Mathiya?

  1. Pinch small lemon-sized balls. Roll each one as thin as you can, about 3 inches wide. Prick all over with a fork so they do not puff up.
  2. Heat oil on low to medium. The oil should not be smoking hot.
  3. Slide in 4 to 5 mathiya at a time and fry on low heat, turning, until light golden and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch.
  4. Drain on paper and cool completely before storing.

Frying cues

  • Test with one mathiya first: it should sink a little and rise slowly with small bubbles.
  • Rolled mathiya should be fried soon after rolling; if they sit uncovered they dry and crack.
  • They are done when the bubbling slows down and they are light golden on both sides. They become crisper as they cool.

Why Did My Mathiya Turn Soft or Hard?

  • Soft mathiya: dough was too soft, oil not hot enough at the start, or they were stored before cooling fully.
  • Hard mathiya: not enough moyan (fat) in the dough, or fried on very high heat so they dried out instead of turning flaky.
  • Puffed mathiya: you forgot to prick with a fork. The holes stop puffing and keep them flat and crisp.
  • Blisters on the surface: the oil was too hot. Lower the heat before the next batch.
  • Uneven colour: the mathiya were rolled unevenly. Roll from the centre outwards, turning the disc as you go.

How to Store Mathiya?

Cool them fully, then store in an airtight dabba at room temperature. They stay crisp for 3 to 4 weeks, which is why Kathiyawadi families make a big batch before Diwali. Serve with chai or alongside sweets like our churma ladoo and kaju katli.

Variation (optional): moth-flour mathiya

In many Gujarati homes, Diwali mathiya are also made in a papad-like style from mathiya no lot (moth bean flour) mixed with urad dal flour. That dough is flavoured with ajwain and green chilli, can include sugar and papad khar, is pounded until smooth, and is rolled paper-thin before frying. It is a different recipe with its own quantities, so follow one source from start to finish instead of mixing it with the maida and moong dal version above. One example: Patel Brothers mathia recipe.

Serving ideas

Serve mathiya with masala chai, on a faral plate with sweets and namkeen, or packed in small boxes for Diwali visits. A little chaat masala sprinkled on top just before serving is an easy twist.

FAQs on Mathiya Recipe

Can I make mathiya without moong dal flour? Yes, you can use all maida, but the moong dal flour gives the traditional Kathiyawadi taste and extra crispness.

Can I bake mathiya instead of frying? You can bake at 180 C until golden, but the texture will be closer to a baked cracker than classic mathiya.

How long does mathiya stay fresh? In an airtight container, 3 to 4 weeks at room temperature.

Why prick mathiya with a fork? The holes let steam escape, so the mathiya stay flat and crisp instead of puffing like puri.

Can I make the dough a day ahead? It is better to make it on the day. Rest it for 20 to 30 minutes, then roll and fry, so it does not dry out.

Also read: Chakli Recipe: Crispy Kathiyawadi Chakri | Kopra Pak Recipe | Sev Khamani Recipe

More Diwali namkeen: Namak Para and its sweet cousin, Gujarati Shakarpara.

Recipe last updated on 19 October 2026.

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