Cheese rose mathri is an artistic innovation of the traditional Indian mathri. Mathri is the perfect savoury snack, and this delicious rendition, with the addition of cheese and the unique rose appearance, makes it an all-time favourite. What's more, cheese rose mathri is ideal for any festive occasion, whether it's to be served at tea-time snacks or special gatherings, as it encompasses the flavours of elaborate offerings at the table. While the mathri dough has traditionally been made of all-purpose flour (maida) or whole wheat flour, seasoned with salt and ajwain (carom seeds), a little bit of ghee or oil is added to make it flaky, this variation adds a layer of cheese within the dough, giving that irresistible, rich taste to the mathris. The dough is then rolled out, cut into strips, and carefully layered to form the shape of a rose, with each petal showing up in the cheese. The created roses stuffed with cheese are deep-fried over medium heat until golden brown and crispy. This way, the cheese melts just a little, and in doing so, it makes the mathri even tastier and crunchier. The result is a savoury touch with a hint of cheesiness that works well with the flaky pastry. It's a great snack from a creative rework of traditional flavours, incorporating the rich taste of cheese with the spiced, flaky goodness of mathri; kids and adults go ga-ga for it. And that beautiful rose shape adds oomph to any festive or party platter.

• 1 cup maida
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• Cheese spread
• 1/2 tsp ajwain
• Oil
• Salt
• Chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp hung curd
• ¼ tsp chaat masala

• Let's begin with the recipe of cheese rose mathri. First, gather all the dough ingredients. Mix maida with salt to taste, a pinch of red chilli powder for just a slight spice, and ajwain for an earthy flavour. These spices will give the cheese rose mathri a mildly spiced traditional flavour.
• Add some oil, which is very important to get a flaky texture. Rub all the ingredients with your fingers, rubbing the oil into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. This is because you want the mathri to turn out crisp after frying.
• Slowly add water and knead the mixture to a smooth, firm dough.
• Wrap this dough in a damp cloth and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
• After resting the dough, divide it into small portions for rolling to be more convenient.
• Take one portion and roll out a thin circle using a rolling pin. These will be the "petals" of the rose material. Give the shape to your circles in such a way that all circles are of the same size.
• Overlap the four circles on top of each other and overlap each circle about 1/2 inch. This will help the circles naturally take the shape of a rose when rolled.
• Spread the cheese evenly over each of these circles to cover the whole surface area of each circle.
• Gently roll the folded semi-circle into a rose shape from one end. It would help if you gently ensured the petals are not disturbed. Repeat the same for the remaining dough pieces and shape out more roses.
• Place all the mathris on a plate or tray and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes. Chilling makes the dough firm, hence making it easy to handle while frying.
• Heat oil in a deep pan or wok over medium heat. Gently slide in the chilled dough pieces when the oil is hot but not smoking. Fry them in small batches so they do not overcrowd, and the oil temperature may drop, resulting in greasy mathris. Fry the mathris until they turn golden brown and crispy, flipping them periodically to ensure uniform cooking. Now, using a slotted spoon, take out the mathris from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels, allowing excess oil to drain.
• Sprinkle some red chilli flakes over the fried mathris while still warm.
• Add two tablespoons of hung curd in a small bowl, two tablespoons of cheese spread, sprinkle a pinch of salt, and chat masala over it, and use it as a delicious dip. Mix everything to form a smooth paste.
• Serve these beautiful, crispy, cheese rose mathris recipes as a starter/snack with hung curd, perfect for gatherings or teatime.