For this month’s (August) cookie of the month, I have here a biscuit (not a cookie) which while growing up were one of the few baked goods I knew.
Nankhatai are popular especially during festive season. These are flavored with ghee, cardamom and chopped nuts and will melt in your mouth!
Happy Baking!
P.S. Indian festival season is starting soon; don’t forget these Nankhatai!
Nankhatai
An Indian origin shortbread biscuits made with flour and ghee.
Equipment
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ghee semi solid form
- 1 cup all purpose flour not maida
- 1/4 cup wheat flour I used my regular roti flour
- 1/4 cup besan
- 2 tbsp soji, fine
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder more for garnish
- 2 3 tbsp melted ghee
- pinch of salt
- chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Sift all the flours, powdered sugar, soji, salt and cardamom powder in a large bowl; large enough to knead the dough.
- Add 1/2 cup of ghee and mix with hand until the mixture looks crumbly.
- Add melted ghee, 1 tbsp at a time until it forms a soft, smooth and non sticky dough.
- Divided the dough into 12 equal portions, roll them between your palms to form a ball and place them in a baking sheet.
- Press each ball gently to flatten and make small cuts (in shape of an X) with a tooth pick.
- Sprinkle cardamom powder on each nankhatai.
- Cover the baking sheet with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Around 20 minutes into refrigeration, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- After 30 minutes, remove the plastic warp and bake the nankhatai for 15 minutes.
- The nankhatai will be soft when you take them out of oven.
- Let the nankhatai cool in tray outside of the oven for another 15 minutes after baking. They will firm up as they cool down.
- Garnish with chopped nuts and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
