Add Preferred SourceNankhatai is a delightful Indian shortbread cookie that melts in your mouth, bringing together the warmth of ghee, the sweetness of sugar, and the aromatic flavors of cardamom.
Nankhatai is a popular snack in India and is often served with tea or coffee. It is also a popular gift item and is often given during festivals or special occasions.
Why you will love this naankhatai recipe?
- Naankhatai has a delightful combination of buttery, sweet, and aromatic flavors. Adding cardamom gives it a unique taste that is both comforting and satisfying.
- The crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth texture of naankhatai is one of its most appealing features. The cookie has a delicate, light, and slightly sandy texture that is highly enjoyable to bite into.
- Naankhatai is simple to prepare, requiring just a few essential ingredients that are commonly found in most kitchens.
Ingredients
Flour: Plain flour (maida), gram flour (besan/chickpea flour), semolina (suji/fine).
Ghee: Use store-bought or homemade ghee.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Combine maida, suji, besan, salt, cardamom powder, and baking powder in a large bowl. Set it aside (images 1 and 2).
Step 2: In another bowl, sieve the sugar. Add ghee to this and whisk it until it is creamy and soft (images 3 and 4).
Step 3: Add yogurt and whisk again to ensure no lumps (images 5 and 6).
Step 4: Now add the flour mixture (image 7). Crumble the mixture well using your fingers (images 8 and 9). Knead into a soft dough (image 10).
Step 5: Pinch a small amount of dough and make a round shape. Place them on the baking tray (image 11). Press some pistachio pieces into each cookie (image 12). Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Step 6: Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are lightly golden at 360 F/180 C (image 13).
Expert Tips
The flour-to-besan ratio I have used in this recipe gives the perfect taste and texture. If you cannot access besan, replace it with atta or plain flour.
Use ghee to make the authentic tasting nankhatai. If you do not have access to ghee, use softened butter. Also, make sure the ghee is at room temperature. Melted ghee will make the dough runny, and solid ghee will be challenging to incorporate. Do not cut down on ghee; we need a lot of fat to get a crispy and flaky texture.
Let the nankhatai dough chill for 10-15 minutes so that they do not spread too much when baking. It is best to shape them and then chill.
It is essential to let the nankhatai cool on the baking tray. If you handle them before cooling, they will crumble and fall apart.
Craving for more? Check out some of my other favorites - toffee cookies and chocolate thumbprint cookies.
Serving Nankhatai
Pair with tea, coffee, or other warm drinks: Nankhatai is traditionally served with hot badam milk, cardamom hot chocolate, masala tea, or coffee. The buttery, sweet flavors of the cookie complement the rich aroma of the beverages, creating a perfect combination.
Dessert accompaniment: Nankhatai can be used as a base or crumbled as a topping for desserts like ice cream or custard. The crumbly texture adds a delightful contrast to the creamy desserts, creating a heavenly dessert experience.
Diwali gift or party favor: Nankhatai makes a wonderful Diwali gift or party favor. They are perfect for festivals, birthdays, or special occasions.
Recipe FAQs
Store these cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. Make sure they are cooled completely before storing. They can stay fresh for up to one week. Nankhatai dough can be frozen for longer-term storage. Shape and arrange the cookie dough on a tray and freeze for 4-6 hours or until they are firm. Transfer the frozen cookie dough to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze. They can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
The authentic nan khatai is not vegan, as ghee or butter is used. However you may use vegan butter to make them, but the taste and texture may vary slightly.
The best way to check if they are done is to see the bottom of the nan khatai. The bottom, along with the edges, should be light brown. At this stage, take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
They will fall apart if they are not allowed to cool completely. Cooling the cookies will firm them up.
More Diwali recipes
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Recipe card
Nankhatai (Eggless Indian Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup besan (chickpea flour)
- 2 tablespoon semolina
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- ½ cup sugar powdered
- ½ cup ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2-3 pistachio chopped
- 2-3 almonds chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360 F / 180 C.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, semolina, besan, salt, cardamom powder, and baking powder. Set it aside.
- In another bowl, sieve the powdered sugar. Add ghee to it and whisk it until it is creamy and soft.
- Add yogurt and whisk again.
- Add the flour mixture. Crumble the mixture well. Knead into a smooth dough.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Pinch a small amount of dough and make a round shape. Place them on the baking tray.
- Press some chopped almonds and pistachio into each cookie.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are slightly golden.
- Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve or store in an air-tight container.
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