Cheddar Pepper Crackers

Cheddar Pepper Crackers are ultimate delicious and have a fun size to them. These crackers are inspired by my all time favorite Indian savory snack called Mathris. Mathri is a deep fried savory snack made with seasoned all purpose flour. This is a baked version with a cheese-pepper spin to the lovely mathris.

I could never resist the temptations of Mathris. This simple and easy to make savory snack is so addictive that it is easy to fall in love with it and then the temptation just stays with you forever.

With rains around the corner here and giving us a little shower show every now and then, i feel the cravings for the amazing Indian snacks growing in, a little more, everyday. For me, rains are reminiscent of those lovely evening walks along the side ways, soaking in the aroma of wet mud, the sight of fresh green leaves – gorgeous flowers and those amazing “Indian Street food” experiences. This would include many rounds of home made Bhajias/pakoras, Dahi Chaats/yoghurt savory snacks , not to forget the classic Kachoris and Samosas loaded with dollops of green mint-coriander chutney and Tamarind chutney . We would enjoy these with my mother’s amazing ginger tea and the day was made. If i ever have a depressing or overloaded day, a nice hot cup of ginger tea is all i need to get to my nirvana !

So, as we continue with the topic of rains, after a hot and humid spell of almost a week, montreal got some relief with some rains today and i thought, i had to celebrate! But this time, it had to be something different. I did not want to indulge in fried food and wanted something simple, easy to make and store-able. Then, as my mind wandered back in the days of holidays in India, i found my answer .. mathri . I have loved this snack every since i probably took the first bite. My mother used to make some really amazing mathris during festivals and me and my sister would finish them off really soon.

Originally Mathris are deep fried and made crispy, but i thought of going ahead with the baking route. I also tweeked around with the recipe and added some cheese, pepper and lemon zest for a twist to these mathri crackers. The recipe is fairly simple to make and taste great. You can enjoy them plain with a good cup of tea or be creative and make it a part of your Dahi Chaats or eat them with salsa or hummus

Servings: about 50 pieces
Time: 45 mins
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Recipe

1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour (u can also just use all purpose flour here, hence 1 cup)
50 gms vegetable oil
1 tsp crushed black pepper
100 gms cheddar cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dry Oregano/ Basil/ fenugreek leaves (optional)
Cold water for kneading (About 1/2 cup)

Equipment

Sieve
Cookie cutter for equal circular disc crackers
Rolling pin
Baking Tray
Oven

Method

To start, we will take a deep bowl and sieve both the flours in.
Now add in salt, pepper and red chili powder and combine well.
Next, add in finely grated cheese, oregano/basil/fenugreek leaves, lemon zest and oil in it.
With both hands, combine them all together till the flour starts to resemble bread crumbs.
Next, slowly add in little water at a time and knead into a semi-hard dough.
Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. The resting time will allow the gluten inside the flour to work and make the dough soft and easy to work with.
While the dough rests, preheat the oven at 180 C and keep it ready.
Once the dough has rested, divide the dough into 4 equal parts and take 1 part. Using the rolling pin, roll it out into a big circle (about 5mm thick) and using the cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes and arrange them on a pre-greased baking tray.
Bake them for 15 minutes, turning side in between for even baking.
Remove when golden brown and let it cool down completely. The crackers will gain a big crunch as they cool down. Store for uptill 2 weeks

These crackers are so yum that it would not even last 1 week, thats assured. We have been munching them with our morning tea and in between meals… they are simply irresistible. There is a very smooth and subtle aroma and taste of that decadent cheese and the slight hint from the pepper and other seasonings which makes these crackers awesome !

The size is also so convenient that a couple of these little coins, makes for a sizable munch without loading up on mount of calories. Bake some today and surprise yourself 🙂

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