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Fun FOOD Frolic

  • Home
  • About Hina
  • All Recipes
    • Appetizers/Snacks
    • Beverage
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Cakes & Bakes
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Vegan
    • Indian Main Course
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Indian Side-Dishes
    • Indian Desserts
    • Multi-Cuisine Recipes
    • How To’s (Homemade Basics)
  • Travel Journal
Baking RecipesVideo Recipes

Nankhatai (Video Recipe)

written by Hina Gujral June 9, 2020
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Nankhatai is an eggless Indian shortbread cookie. They are made with flour, semolina, ghee, and flavored with cardamom and saffron. These traditional Indian cookies are crumbly, buttery, and quite addictive (in the right way). If you’re in the mood to bake, try this fail-proof Nankhatai recipe.

Light Brown Color Indian Cookies Nankhatai With Saffron On A Wire Rack
Nankhatai

What is Nankhatai?

The name Nankhatai comes from two words – ‘naan’ meaning bread and ‘khatai’, meaning biscuit or cookie.

Nankhatai is a traditional baked biscuit that uses a basic unleavened bread recipe and depends on the addition of dry fruits and spices to flavor it.

The texture of these cookies is soft and mouth melting. Eggless and easy to bake, these Indian cookies are ready in 30 minutes.

They are a perfect teatime companion that can be munched on, anytime.

Ingredients Required

For making Nankhatai, you need:

All-purpose flour (maida), Gram flour (besan), Semolina (sooji/rava)

Powdered white sugar, Green cardamom powder

Baking powder, Salt

Ghee (clarified butter)

Nankhatai Ingredients
Nankhatai Ingredients

Besan has a naturally nutty flavor that works well with the saffron to produce an inherently Indian flavor to the dish. Roasting the besan heightens the nutty taste.

I also use semolina (sooji) to build a better texture in the cookies. Adding semolina makes the cookies less ‘doughy’ and more crunchy.

Many other variations to the Nankhatai recipe involve the addition of chocolate, pistachios, or other flavorings. However, the classic version is delicious on its own, as well.

This Nankhatai recipe uses cardamom and saffron as flavoring agents. Albeit simple, this combination works wonderfully well in seasoning the biscuit to perfection – the result is a cookie that will appeal to tastes across borders.

Nankhatai is an eggless, traditional Indian shortbread cookies.
Nankhatai

Two-Step Process

Unlike other cookies, this one requires no addition of milk or water.

Make Cookie Dough: Combine all the ingredients and form a smooth dough similar to a shortcrust pastry.

No need to knead the dough. As soon it comes together, set it aside for 3 – 5 minutes or store in the fridge until you are ready to make cookies.

Shape Cookies: Grease a flat baking tray and place the cookies balls on it, leaving enough space between each ball to allow for expansion. Make a cross on top of each cookie using a sharp knife.

Nankhatai is an eggless, traditional Indian shortbread cookies.
Nankhatai

Add shaved almonds, pistachios, cashews, strands of saffron, sunflower seeds, or any other nuts on the cookie to decorate it.

Bake cookies in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. Do keep a check on the cookies while baking to ensure they don’t get burnt. Smaller sized cookies might cook faster.

Now, once the cookies are baked, cool them on a wiring rack for 15 mins or till they reach room temperature.

How to store nankhatai?

Store Nankhatai in a dry and clean air-tight jar. They keep well for 2 – 3 weeks when stored this way. Keep away from moisture/humidity as they might get stale and lose their crunch.

Watch Nankhatai Recipe Video

More Eggless Baking Recipes

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Eggless Rava Cake

Eggless Banana Cake

Eggless Sponge Fruit Cake

Nankhatai is an eggless, traditional Indian shortbread cookies prepared with gram flour and ghee.
Nankhatai

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Nankhatai is an eggless, traditional Indian shortbread cookies prepared with ghee and gram flour.

Nankhatai Recipe

Nankhatai is an eggless, traditional Indian shortbread cookies. Learn how to make the best nankhatai in a few simple steps.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 134kcal
Author: Hina Gujral

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup all-purpose flour (maida)
  • 1/2 Cup gram flour (besan)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoon semolina (sooji/rava)
  • 1/3 Cup powdered white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 Cup melted ghee (clarified butter)

Ingredients For Topping:

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped pistachio
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl combine, flour, semolina, baking powder, cardamom powder, salt, sugar and mix nicely using a wire whisk or spatula.
  • Add the melted ghee and form a smooth dough. Do not use water or milk to bind the dough. If required, use a tablespoon or so of more ghee. The cookie dough should be non-sticky and soft like a shortcrust pastry.
    Nankhatai Dough
  • Let the dough rest in the fridge. Meanwhile, preheat the oven or OTG at 160-degree Celcius. Line a baking tray ( buy it here ) with a parchment paper ( buy it here ) or grease the tray with a teaspoon of ghee.
  • Pinch a small lemon size portion of the dough and shape it into a round ball. Similarly, shape all the cookies. Arrange the cookies in the baking tray.
  • Using the tip of a sharp knife or a toothpick, gently make a cross on top of each cookie. Sprinkle chopped pistachio and saffron strands inside the cross on top.
    Nankhatai is an eggless, traditional Indian shortbread cookies.
  • Bake cookies in a preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes. Check and if cookies are still too soft, bake for 5 – 10 more minutes.
  • Let Nankhatai cool on a wire rack ( buy it here ) before transferring to container.
  • Serve Nankhatai with a cup of masala tea or milk.

Recipe Notes:

  • Do not plcae the cookies too closely in a baking tray. Give each cookie some room to expand. 
  • To make sugar powder, grind white granulated sugar in a mixer. Or you can use castor sugar as well. 
  • Please note that the cookies turn little hard after cooling down. They are bit fragile when hot and just out of the oven. 
  • For extra flavor, you can add saffron in the dough as well. 
  • Nankhatai can be easily stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a month. 
  • You can prepare the cookie dough in advance and store in the fridge like a shortcrust pastry. 
  • Equipment Used: Oven ( buy it here ), Baking tray ( buy it here )

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
Love this? Pin it for Later!Follow @hinagujral on Pinterest!
Nankhatai (Video Recipe) was last modified: December 17th, 2020 by Hina Gujral
136shares
26 comments
Hina Gujral

I am a passionate Indian food blogger living in India with my husband and our pug, named Momo.

previous post
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26 comments

Shiju Sugunan February 14, 2014 - 1:11 PM

After having burnt cookies in my last attempt, I am going to dare another try. This time I will be more careful with the time.
Beautiful photos as usual.

Reply
Swati February 27, 2014 - 6:03 AM

love the pictures Hina, they look so inviting…hows ur vacation been??

Reply
Vaishali Gowda March 10, 2014 - 10:06 AM

This comment has been removed by the author.

Reply
Vaishali Gowda March 10, 2014 - 10:07 AM

I absolutely love Nankhatais. The cookies look so yum. I guess I will try making these before Holi. And Saffola remains very dear to most of the families. No other brand stands out as much as Saffola! Thanks for the review and the recipe!

Reply
Rajat Kapoor March 14, 2014 - 6:52 AM

I made Nainkhatai yesterday looking at this recipe and to my surprise it turned out so good. Usually I’m miserable when it comes to cooking but Nainkhatais were yum. Thanks for the post and Saffola review.

Reply
Geetha March 27, 2014 - 10:17 AM

I’m very bad at cooking but somehow I feel like cooking this recipe. Thanks for sharing. It’s a good read! 🙂

Reply
Swati & Sam (The tales of a traveler ) September 15, 2015 - 1:13 AM

Drooling over the pics …nom nom 🙂

Reply
kushi September 18, 2015 - 4:27 AM

WOW! Beautiful presentation and nankhatti looks so yummy. Craving for it right now 🙂

Reply
Hina Gujral September 18, 2015 - 5:00 PM

Thanks you so much and please do try the recipe.

Reply
Sangeeta Sethi November 29, 2019 - 7:53 PM

Fabulous gorgeous photo click .truly loved its preparation .a must try bake

Reply
Hina Gujral December 2, 2019 - 10:29 AM

thank you so much for such positive feedback 🙂

Reply
Arpita April 16, 2020 - 10:46 PM

I don’t have baking powder at home but do have baking soda. Can you use that and how much quantity. Love your pictures posts….. what an inspiration. Thank you.

Reply
Hina Gujral April 17, 2020 - 11:45 AM

Baking Soda and Baking Powder have different properties and roles to play. One cannot be used instead of the other.

Reply
Supreeth June 5, 2020 - 10:31 PM

I love this with my tea👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Reply
Hina Gujral June 6, 2020 - 5:16 PM

Agree with you!

Reply
Shruthi June 5, 2020 - 10:31 PM

Best Teatime snack 😍

Reply
Sumathi June 5, 2020 - 10:33 PM

Love how this tasted with our tea!

Reply
Hina Gujral June 6, 2020 - 5:16 PM

Thank You for such a great feedback!

Reply
Varsha June 5, 2020 - 10:36 PM

I am drooling over this!!

Reply
Hina Gujral June 6, 2020 - 5:16 PM

Please do try the recipe. I am sure you will enjoy it!

Reply
Shruthi August 7, 2020 - 7:16 AM

They look perfect!

Reply
Apoorva August 7, 2020 - 9:16 AM

Love this recipe!!! looks perfect

Reply
Hina Gujral August 7, 2020 - 12:05 PM

thanks a lot!

Reply
lakshmi August 7, 2020 - 9:17 AM

5 stars
Tried this recipe of yours. I must say, it was absolutely delicious. i have made a batch and stored them in my cookie jar 🙂

Reply
Hina Gujral August 7, 2020 - 12:05 PM

I a so happy that you liked the cookies.

Reply

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Hello! I am Hina Gujral

Hello! I am Hina Gujral

I am a passionate food lover. Fun FOOD Frolic is all about tried and tested comforting meals from my kitchen.

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