If you love Nimki/Namakpara or Mathri, you will love these crackers. This baked version is made using only whole wheat flour. But it is so flakey, buttery and flavourful, that you won’t realise that these are baked instead of being deep fried. Or that these are made with aata (whole wheat flour) instead of maida (all purpose flour).
These crackers are easy to make and they come very handy as a quick snack at home or in office or on the go. The flavours are simple and these are a hit with kids too. You can cut them in different shapes, rectangles, squares, triangles or circles to make it more fun for kids.
If you love to make savoury snacks at home, you may also like my Whole wheat Jowar Cashew cookies.
Here are the main ingredients for these crackers:
Whole Wheat Flour forms the base for these crackers. It has more fibre and nutrients compared to all purpose flour that is more refined.
Butter is what makes these crackers flakey and delicious. This recipe uses a lot of butter compared to my other recipes but it is needed here. Using chopped up ice cold butter is the key. Pockets of butter in the dough will give it that flakey texture.
Water: Ice cold water is very important for this recipe. It prevents the butter from melting into the dough.
Salt provides the flavour of course!
Jaggery though is optional, a little bit of sweetness enhances the flavour.
Flavours: I have used Ajwain (carrom seeds) and Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) here. I love this flavour combination. But you can flavour these crackers with crushed black peppers, cumin seeds, chilli flakes or other herbs or seeds or leave it all out and enjoy them with just salt.
Now that we have covered all the ingredients and their role, here is the detailed recipe!
