Masala Biscuits

These spicy and savoury biscuits are type of baked mathhis (the very famous Indian snack tea-time dish). The special attraction of these biscuits are the green herbs that give them a special taste and makes them look so fresh and inviting.

Ingredients
  • All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 150 gms (2 cups)
  • Butter – 80 gms (1/3 cup) (Salted, chilled and cubed)
  • Green Chillies (Chopped thinly) – A Few
  • Curry Leaves (Chopped thinly) – A Few
  • Coriander/Mint Leaves (Chopped thinly) – A Few
  • Baking Powder – ¼ tsp
  • Curd – ½ tsp (Optional)
  • Salt – A Pinch
  • Sugar – ½ tbsp
Method
  1. Pre-heat the oven at 200°C.
  2. Sieve maida, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl.
  3. Add chilled butter cubes to the flour mixture.
  4. Mix and rub the flour with your fingertips until the mixture becomes crumbly.
  5. Add chopped chillies and coriander leaves.
  6. Collect everything to prepare a soft dough using your fingertips (do not knead). Use curd if required.
  7. Roll out and flatten the dough to ¼ inches thick sheet.
  8. Make shapes using the cookie cutter.
  9. Arrange the biscuits on a baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven at 200°C for 10-12 minutes. Remember to check the cookies after 10 minutes.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the wire rack for 10-15 minutes.

Notes

  1. Your cookies are cooked if you see them browning from the sides.
  2. When you will take out the cookies from the oven, they will be soft and cushy. Do not cook them more.
  3. Follow these steps after the cookies are cooked:
    1. Take out the baking tray and keep it on the cooling rack. Let the cookies be on the baking tray till the tray is hot.
    2. Once the tray is at room temperature, remove the cookies from the tray and keep them on a separate plate and allow them to cool for another 30-45 minutes.
  4. If your oven tends to get too hot, reduce the time of baking by 1-2 minutes accordingly.
  5. Remember to keep the cookies batter and cookies sheet/baking tray in cold temperature. The cookies dough or batter or balls should always be chilled before getting into the oven.
  6. DO NOT leave the cookies dough or cookies balls at room temperature. If the oven is not ready, shift the cookies dough or balls into the fridge and take them out only when the oven is ready.