Memoni Mathar: A Recipe Close to My Heart
Growing up, Memoni Mathar wasn’t just a winter treat in our family; it was a cherished tradition. Every winter, my grandmother would gather all the women in the family to make mathar in huge thaals (large platters). The entire process was a celebration of togetherness, a way to connect with our roots and pass down a piece of family history. Once prepared, these rich squares of goodness were distributed amongst family members, both close and distant.
The smell of roasted wheat flour, the sweet aroma of jaggery, and the richness of desi ghee filled the entire house, signaling that winter had truly arrived. Even now, the process of making mathar fills me with nostalgia, taking me back to simpler times when life revolved around family, food, and traditions.
What is Memoni Mathar?
Memoni Mathar is a wholesome, nutrient-packed sweet made with wheat flour, jaggery (gur), desi ghee, nuts, edible gum (gond), and other warming ingredients. It is deeply rooted in the Memoni culture and cherished for its healing properties. Traditionally consumed in the winter, mathar is not just a treat; it’s food for the soul and the body.
This recipe is a family heirloom, passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and now to me. While every family has its own twist, this version is particularly close to my heart.
Ingredients and Their Healing Properties
1. Wheat Flour: The base of the mathar, wheat flour provides essential carbohydrates and a hearty texture.
2. Jaggery (Gur): A natural sweetener rich in minerals like iron and magnesium. Gur is known for its warming properties, making it perfect for winter and postpartum healing.
3. Desi Ghee: The soul of this recipe, desi ghee not only adds richness but also helps retain moisture. Its healthy fats provide energy and aid digestion.
4. Almonds and Pistachios: Loaded with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, nuts add crunch and nutrition.
5. Coconut Flakes: A source of healthy fats and fiber, coconut enhances the texture and flavor.
6. Lotus Seeds (Makhana): Known for their anti-inflammatory properties, lotus seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients.
7. Edible Gum (Gond): Gond is known for its ability to strengthen bones, joints, and muscles, making it a key ingredient for postpartum recovery.
8. Turmeric Powder: A natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, turmeric adds warmth and healing properties.
9. Cardamom Powder: Adds a fragrant touch while aiding digestion.
The Process: Patience is Key
Making mathar is a labor of love, requiring patience and attention to detail. Here’s a detailed guide with tips to ensure your mathar turns out perfect every time.
1. Melt the Gur with Care: When melting the jaggery, ensure the flame is low, and don’t let it bubble. Overheating can change the texture and make it difficult to mix into the batter.
2. Toast the Nuts and Gond: Toasting the almonds, pistachios, lotus seeds, and gond in ghee enhances their flavor and ensures they are evenly cooked. Take care not to burn them—low heat is your best friend.
3. Roasting the Flour: This step requires patience. Roasting the wheat flour in ghee until it reaches an amber color ensures the rawness is cooked out and imparts a nutty aroma. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
4. Combining Ingredients: When mixing the melted jaggery into the roasted flour and ghee, do so in a steady stream while stirring constantly. This ensures the batter thickens evenly.
5. Flatten and Shape: Press the mathar mixture firmly into a pan or thaal while it’s still warm. Once cooled, it will harden and be ready to cut into squares.
Tips for Perfect Mathar
• Ghee to Gur Ratio: While you can adjust the sweetness by altering the amount of jaggery, be cautious about reducing the ghee. Using less ghee can make the mathar dry and crumbly.
• Consistency of Nuts: Chopping the nuts finely in a food processor ensures the mathar has a uniform texture.
• Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Mathar stays fresh for up to two weeks.
Nutritional Value and Healing Properties
Mathar is more than just a sweet; it’s a tonic for the body. Its warming ingredients make it ideal for winter, providing energy and aiding in digestion. For postpartum women, mathar is a blessing. Gond strengthens bones and muscles, turmeric reduces inflammation, and ghee replenishes the body with healthy fats.
Each bite of mathar works to heal the body from the inside out, making it a staple in many South Asian households.
A Recipe Close to My Heart
As I make mathar every winter, I feel a deep connection to my family’s traditions and heritage. This recipe is a reminder of my grandmother’s wisdom and the love she poured into every thaal she prepared. It’s a legacy I am proud to carry forward.
Mathar isn’t just a sweet treat; it’s a celebration of culture, love, and the healing power of food. Whether you’re making it to share with loved ones or to nourish yourself, I hope this recipe brings warmth and joy to your home.
Memoni Mathar | Golden Nutrition Squares |
12
servings30
minutes30
minutesA rich, nourishing winter treat made with jaggery, ghee, and wholesome ingredients for warmth and energy.
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups 4 1/2 Wheat flour
2 1/2 cups 2 1/2 Jaggery (to taste)
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 Almonds
1 cup 1 Pistachios
1 cup 1 Coconut flakes unsweetened
1 cup 1 Lotus seeds
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 Gond or Edible gum
1/4 cups 1/4 water
2 3/4 cups 2 3/4 Desi Ghee
1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 Turmeric powder
1 tsp 1 Cardamom powder
Directions
- In a sauce pan melt jaggery with 1/4 cup of water on low flame. Don’t let it bubble.
- In a large sauté pan toast almonds with 1 tbsp of ghee for a couple of minutes on low flame, remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Do the same with pistachios, lotus seeds, coconut flakes and set aside.
- In the same skillet, heat 3 tbsp of ghee and add the Gond (edible gum) and cook on medium flame, once the gum starts to crisp up and double in size, turn off the flame and remove them from the pan and set aside.
- In a food processor chop the almonds, pistachios and lotus seeds finely until they resemble breadcrumbs or grains of rice, with no large chunks remaining.
- Use the same sauté pan but make sure to wipe it clean, heat 2 and a 1/2 cups of ghee and roast 4 cups of flour on low flame until you can smell that the rawness of the flour is gone and it starts to smell toasty. This is a process of patience, so make sure you are stirring the flour regularly to avoid burning it, it should take around 5 minutes or so. At this point the color of the flour will have darkened slightly, like an amber color.
- Now sprinkle turmeric powder and cardamom powder and mix well.
- At this point slowly start to combine the melted gur (jaggery) into the flour and ghee batter in a steady stream and mix well. You will see that the batter will start to thicken.
- Turn off the heat and add the chopped nuts, Gond (edible gum), coconut and mix well.
- Use a large piece of wax paper and the back of a ramekin and flatten the mathar in the same sauté pan or a baking dish.
- After an hour when the mathar cools down, use a sharp knife to cut it in squares.
- Store in an air tight container, good for up to 2 weeks.
- Warm in the microwave for 20 seconds before enjoying with a glass of milk.
