An evening cup of tea without the traditional nankhatai is incomplete in an Indian household.

So, keeping the tradition alive in my mind, I bring to you my childhood delicacy, Nankhatai, with this recipe.

I have just used a handful of ingredients, like all-purpose flour, gram flour, semolina, clarified butter, and a few more, that will easily be available in your kitchen.

 

Nankhatai derives from the Persian word naan, meaning bread, and khatai meaning a flaky biscuit.

It originated from the Indian subcontinent during the 16th Century and has been one of the constants in almost every Indian household for ages.

In short, it’s a shortbread cookie loved by everyone! 

And I bet, when you were a kid, you must have seen your mom trying it out on a gas stove, using a kadhai (wok)! Just like my mom used to!

Seeing this love for Nankhatai by everyone, I knew I had to try out this classic recipe.

Every ingredient I have used in this recipe is readily available in our kitchens, be it flour, semolina, or ghee!

This recipe comes together quickly; you can even try baking them the Mom’s way 😉!

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s Nankhatai: I don’t need to say anything other than this as a reason to love this recipe! I bet everyone has secretly wished to bake these themselves in childhood.
• Super Easy: This recipe comes together so quickly that you won’t think twice before making it. Nankhatai lovers, this recipe is at your rescue!
• Saves you a run to the grocery store: Nankhatai is a very basic recipe, and sticking to the traditional ingredients, everything that I have used here, is for sure available in your kitchen right now!

 

Important Ingredients In Nankhatai

• Ghee: Ghee, also known as clarified butter, gives these cookies flakiness. The right amount of fat and little to no moisture in this recipe is giving this recipe the flakiness required. Also, it adds a rich flavor to the cookie.
• Gram flour or Besan & Semolina or Sooji: I have used gram flour and all-purpose flour here to give that distinct flavor profile. And the addition of semolina to the recipe adds the perfect crunchiness to the baked cookies.
• Icing sugar: It is a must in this recipe, as it gives the traditional khasta or flaky mouthfeel of the nankhatai. For this recipe, you can even grind and then sift sugar at home.
• Cardamom powder: With all the ingredients in the recipe, cardamom’s the best flavor combination. You can either use store-bought or homemade cardamom powder.

 

How To Make Nankhatai 

• Sieve all dry ingredients: In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients, starting with all-purpose flour, gram flour, semolina, icing sugar, salt, and cardamom powder.
• Add clarified butter/ ghee: Add clarified butter to the ingredients and mix everything for a smooth dough. You can use your hands at this point!
• Divide & Shape: Divide the dough into equal portions weighing 30 g each and shape them into nice round balls. Place them on a lined baking tray.
• Garnish: Top the dough balls with chopped pistachios before baking. 
• Bake: Place the baking tray in a preheated oven and bake at 180°C (OTG mode: lower rod only) for about 12 – 15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.

Our very own Indian delicacy – Nankhatai, is now ready!

 

Chef Tips For The Recipe

Don’t cut back on clarified butter.

Ghee or clarified butter is the most important in this recipe. It is the main reason behind the khasta mouthfeel of nankhatai, and it’s the best when ghee is used. I wouldn’t recommend oil or butter, as they won’t give the same mouthfeel. 

Use semi-solid clarified butter.

If clarified butter is used in a solid or melted state, it will hamper the texture of the dough. A solid-state might make it difficult to combine everything, and melted ghee would mean ghee all over your hands.

Icing sugar is a must.

After ghee, it is the second most important ingredient in providing the khasta mouthfeel. Using any other kind of sugar will hamper the cookies’ texture and mouthfeel.

 

How To Store Nankhatai

You can store the nankhatai for 1.5 – 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

More Easy Recipes

If you want more easy-to-make recipes, try our Coffee Cookies Recipe, Eggless Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies, and Monster Cookies.