Nan Khatai Recipe

4.47 from 121 votes

Do you prefer light and crumbly cookies to enjoy with your evening tea? This bite-sized, melt-in-your-mouth Nankhatai recipe is just for you! Just like eggless coconut cookies, these Indian butter cookies require just a few pantry staples and are deceptively easy to make.

Prep: 10

Cook: 16

Total: 26

Course: Dessert, Sides

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 119kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

FOR NANKHATAI

1 cup All purpose flour
¼ cup Wheat flour
¼ cup Chickpea flour besan
2 tablespoons Sooji (Semolina)
½ cup Powdered Sugar + 2 tablespoons extra sugar
½ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- - A pinch of salt
½ cup Ghee Semi-solid stage
2½ tablespoons Ghee melted

GARNISHES

- - Slivered Almonds and Pistachios
- - Cardamom Powder sprinkle on top

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine all-purpose flour, salt, wheat flour, semolina, chickpea flour (besan), eliachi powder, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Mix until all the ingredients are well blended.
Add ghee.
With your fingers, work the ghee into the flour mix.
Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Add melted ghee to this flour mix and mix until it forms a soft, pliable dough. Add ghee one spoonful at a time, as you may not need the recommended quantity.
Tip — When you add melted ghee, the nankhatai dough will be extremely smooth and soft but not sticky.
Take some dough in your hand, and roll it between your palms to finish rounding it like a ball. Form a crack-free, smooth round ball.
Flatten the ball slightly in the palm of your hand and use your fingertips to smooth out the edges of your nankhatai.
Repeat this process until all the dough is shaped.
Place them on a baking tray.
Gently make a small cut on top of each nankhatai.
Tip — This indent or cross on top will ensure that the nankhatais have room to expand and will develop beautiful cracks during baking.
Sprinkle eliachi powder. Cover and chill the unbaked nankhatai in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
Tip — This is an important step, and it will prevent over-spreading. When these chilled cookies are baked, the solidified fat/ghee takes time to melt, and during baking, whatever the steam is released, it puffs up the dough, and the cookie spreads out less and becomes flaky. And if we start baking the dough without chilling, the fat (ghee) will melt immediately, resulting in flat-out, greasy cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. After the desired time is over, bake the chilled nankhatai in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes.
Once the cooking time is done, remove the nankhatai from the oven.
The center of nankhatai will still be very pale and soft when fresh out of the oven. This is important - let them cool slightly in the tray for 4-5 minutes. As they cool, the nankhatai will continue to firm up.
Here is what the nankhatai should look like right as they cool.
Garnish with slivered nuts and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip the cardamom powder?

Of course, you can skip the cardamom powder entirely if you don’t have a liking for it, or you can even replace it with vanilla extract or some other flavoring.

How can I get perfectly shaped and consistently sized nankhatais?

You can use a cookie scooper to form a ball and enjoy the perfectly sized nankhatais!

Can I use maple syrup or honey as a replacement for sugar?

I would not suggest you add any liquid ingredients as the dough will lose its consistency, and the runny dough will not make the best nankhatais.

Can I bake these nankhatais in a pressure cooker?

Sure you can. To bake these delicious Nakhatais in a pressure cooker -

Layer the bottom of the pressure cooker with sand or salt.
Close the lid and heat the cooker on a low flame for 7-8 minutes.
Arrange a stand in the cooker and place nankhatais over it.
Bake/cook nankhatais for 5-6 minutes on a medium-low flame.
Allow the nankhatais to rest for 4-5 minutes, and then gently remove it from the pressure cooker.
Remember, the nankhatis will be soft at this point. So remove carefully with a spoon.

How can I store these Nankhatais?

Once these delicious Nankhatais have completely cooled, transfer them to an air-tight container and seal them. They will keep for about 2- 3 weeks at room temperature if stored in a cool place.

Nutrition