Nankhatai Recipe

What is Nankhatai?

For those unfamiliar with this term, the name Nankhatai comes from the Persian word ‘Naan,’ which translates to bread in English, and khatai means light and flaky biscuit.

In simple words, it indicates light and buttery biscuits or Indian shortbread cookies made without eggs or leavening agents (baking powder and baking soda). 

I am a cookie lover, and whether it be eggless coconut cookies, Dulce de leche thumbprint cookies, eggless shortbread swirl cookies, or tutti frutti cookies, I love freshly baked golden-brown cookies with my cup of chai.

So, if you are looking for THE perfect cookie recipe for your upcoming tea party, this nankhatai recipe is worth a try.

This best nankhatai recipe will take you back to your childhood days.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Nankhatai recipe

These yummy Nankhatais are absolutely amazing! Soft and flavorful, with the melt-in-the-mouth texture, these little bites of deliciousness indeed have more reasons to be loved.

• Easy and quick to make
• Loved by kids and adults alike
• Perfect make-ahead recipe
• Easy to carry while traveling
• Purely vegetarian
• Satiate sweet cravings instantly!

The best part is that during the festive season, make a huge batch of nankhatais, box them up and share them with family, friends, and neighbors.

Nankhatais, or should I say Indian buttery cookies are a perfect sweet treat for every season and occasion.

The secret to Khasta Nanakhatai Recipe!

This nankhatai recipe is not your regular cut-out sugar cookies. They are the perfect no-fuss, round and buttery shortbread that doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or baking tools.

All you need is a mixing bowl, your fingers, or maybe a spoon, a little refrigeration time before baking, and you are good to go.

The secret to these crumbly yet soft, melt-in-your-mouth nankhatais is ghee. The crunchiness of a nankhatai depends on a good balance of fat and its low moisture content.

During baking, the moisture in the ghee evaporates, producing acceptably stiff and crumbly nankhatais.

So, without further ado, let’s get ready to recapture the joy of your childhood with this khasta (flaky) nankhatai recipe that – 

• Takes just a few minutes of hands-on time
• Soft, moist, and delicate, just like the old traditional bakery-bought nankhatais
• Rich and flavorful with a slight hint of cardamom, and 
• Incredibly delicious. 

Nankhatai Recipe Ingredient List

Flours — I have used a combination of all-purpose flour, chickpea flour (besan), wheat flour, and semolina (sooji) to create this perfect, no-fail nankhatai recipe.

All-purpose flour and wheat flour are the staples, but the addition of besan lends a nice subtle earthy flavor, and likewise, sooji gives a great crunch to the finished cookie nankhatais. This combination lends a sturdy texture, a khasta (crunchy) bite, and a melt-in-your-mouth feeling of a perfect nankhatai.

Powdered Sugar — Also called confectioners’ sugar, the addition of powdered sugar is what makes these nankhatais incredibly soft and delicate. In addition to that, sugar lends crispy edges and smooth texture to our nankhatais. 

Cardamom Powder — for a hint of flavor. You can substitute cardamom with your favorite extract.

Salt — An essential ingredient as it draws out the flavor of this nankhatai. 

Ghee — Ghee lends a subtle nutty flavor to these Indian buttery cookies. And its low moisture content adds to the crispiness of our nankhatais.

Silvered nuts — as a garnish.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Ghee is an essential ingredient — This delicious recipe of Nankhatai derives its richness, moisture, and soft texture from the ghee. The correct amount of ghee in this recipe is what makes it khasta and delectable. So, do not cut back up on this ingredient.

The right time to add melted ghee — Use semi-solid ( room temperature) ghee when you are combining the flours. The first batch of ghee that’s added to the flour mix should be in a granular semi-solid state, not melted. Once the mixture becomes crumbly, then gradually add the melted ghee to the mixture. 

Always use powdered sugar — This recipe makes it best with powdered sugar as it absorbs extra moisture from the other ingredients, giving the nankhatai a tender and flaky texture. As it melts, the granulated sugar encourages the nankhatais to spread, take a deeper tinge, and also have a crispier texture; therefore, it should be avoided. Likewise, brown sugar should also be avoided in this recipe.

Do not add any liquid to the mixture — These are low-moisture shortbread cookies, meaning they do not need any added moisture. Most of its moisture and softness are rendered by the ghee. If the mixture doesn’t seem to bind well, feel free to add some more ghee but refrain from adding any liquid to the dough as this may spoil the recipe. 

Line the baking tray — Lining the baking tray with parchment paper when baking the nankhatais will ensure easy removal of the nankhatais when baked, and an easy clean-up to follow.

Chill the Nankhatai dough before baking — Refrigerating the dough before baking will provide the dough more stability (the ghee solidifies and takes time to melt when baked) and prevent the nankhatais from spreading in the oven while baking without chilling the dough will otherwise result in the flattened nankhatais. The chilling time also allows the flavors to meld well and come out ideally. 

Leave space for spreading — The nankhatais will need space to spread when they are being baked. Therefore, leave enough space between nankhatais when placing them on the baking tray. They may turn out to be sticky and under-baked if placed too close.

Do not over-bake — Overbaking may result in dry and browned nankhatais, so avoid over-baking. Just bake them for 14- 16 minutes or until you see a slightly golden brown on the edges.

For easy lifting — Let the nankhatais sit in the baking tray for 5 – 10 minutes before removing them. Use a very thin spatula to lift them up and immediately transfer them onto a wire cooling rack. Leave them there to cool completely.

To prevent continued cooking — Remove the nankhatais from the baking tray after 5- 10 minutes to prevent continued cooking. They will continue to bake on the hot baking tray if not removed. 

Adding a festive vibe — Sprinkle slivered almonds and pistachios on top to render a festive vibe to the freshly prepared nankhatais. 

Variations — This is a basic nankhatai recipe. Feel free to improvise and add various flavors to it, like saffron or rose flavor for rose-flavored Nankhatai. Or add some Thandai mix for a Thandai nankhatai recipe. 

Go creative with shapes — You can cut the dough into different shapes to make them more appealing to kids.

Do not replace all-purpose four — Replacing all-purpose flour with self-rising flour will not yield significant results because the latter contains baking powder, and the nankhatai recipe doesn’t need any leavening agents! 

Confirm doneness — You can know if the nankhatais are done by looking at the edges. If you see the light golden brown rim around the edges, this shows the nankhatais are done. However, the center will still be soft and pale to the touch.

Crumbly Nankhatai — Because they were removed from the tray too soon, Nankhatais are still soft when they come out of the oven, so please resist the urge to touch the nankhatais until they have cooled entirely; otherwise, they will crumble and fall apart. This is extremely important to let the nankhatai sit for 5-10 minutes on the baking tray before lifting them.

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

Can you resist these gorgeous-looking Eggless Buttery Indian Cookies (Nankhatais)? I am sure you can’t!

Neither can I! So, let’s dive straight into the recipe instructions and bake a lovely batch of these adorably delicious Nankhatais that just take a few minutes from the oven to your palate!

Let us begin!

Should you make this Khasta Nankhatai recipe, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below.

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

CRAVING FOR MORE, TRY SOME OTHER Eggless bakes!