Nankhatai
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Nankhatai is a delicious crunchy Indian eggless shortbread cookie made using ghee and flour. Make this yummy bakery-style cookie at home using my easy recipe.
Here are some more cookie recipes that you may like – Kesar Pista Shortbread Cookies, Almond Cookies, and Banana Cookies.
My mom is not much of a baker, but she makes a few baked recipes and make them well. This Nan Khatai is one of her recipes. She made it every Diwali while I was growing up and I remember many aunties from our doctor’s colony in Banda coming home post Diwali to learn this recipe from her. My mom is such a gentle soul that she very patiently explained the recipe to whoever wanted to learn it.
I too learned the recipe from her and made it for many Diwali in my home after I got married.
Just like every year, I made it again yesterday for the upcoming Diwali festival and updated this post with some more tips and tricks for you all. Do try this recipe.
About Nankhatai
Nankhatai is an Indian shortbread-like cookie. These eggless cookies come together using simple ingredients like all purpose flour, chickpea flour, ghee, baking soda and sugar. A mild flavor of cardamom powder brings out a perfect traditional taste along with slivered almonds topping.
The best part about this recipe is that it is very simple to follow. Even if you don’t have any cooking experience, you can use this step by step recipe and make the perfect cookies. Just follow the measurements correctly for the best results.
In my home it is a must-make snack for Diwali but you can also make it any time of the year to serve as a tea-time snack or pack it for kid’s school lunch boxes.
This recipe makes 22-24 cookies, but you can easily double or triple the recipe.
Ingredients
Flour – These cookies are made with all-purpose flour (maida) and chickpea flour (besan, gram flour).
Cardamom Powder is used to flavor the nankhatai.
Ghee – Ghee or clarified butter makes these nankhatai cookies super rich and soft. Do not substitute it for butter or oil.
Powdered Sugar – Grind the regular sugar in a grinder. Do not use confectioner’s sugar, sometimes called powdered sugar. Confectioner’s sugar has some added cornstarch, which can alter the texture of nan khatai.
Salt & Baking Soda – Baking soda helps these cookies rise and adds to their soft texture.
Almond – Almonds are slivered and added on the top. They give a nice bite to these super soft and melt-in-mouth cookies.
How To Make Nankhatai
Make The Dough
Take a medium sized bowl and mix the following ingredients well using a wire whisk.
- 60 g (½ cup) chickpea flour
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Whisk 220 g (1 cup) ghee kept at room temperature and 125 g (1 cup) powdered sugar in another large bowl until combined.
Add the dry flour mixture from the medium bowl with the ghee mixture. Now mix it using your clean fingers to make a soft dough.
Shape The Nan Khatai
Divide the dough into 22-24 equal parts. To make my nankhatai similar in size, I use a measuring scale to divide the dough. You can also eyeball it.
Now roll each part in between your palms to make a smooth ball. Gently press the balls with your fingers to flatten them a little and arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer. Keep some distance between each ball.
Note – If you have a smaller baking tray, then you can make the cookies in multiple batches.
Press slivered almond pieces on top of the cookies.
Now cover the tray with a cling wrap and refrigerate the nankhatai for 30 minutes. This process of Refrigerating the nankhatai before baking helps to retain their shape while baking.
Bake The Nankhatai
Preheat the oven to 180℃ (360℉). Once the oven is preheated, remove the cling wrap from the tray and place the tray on the middle rack of the oven. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the color turns slightly brown at the edges.
Note – Do not overbake otherwise they will taste burned.
Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies rest for 5 minutes.
Now transfer the Nankhatai’s to a cooling rack and let them cool down to room temperature.
You can now serve them fresh or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you want, you can replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. But the texture of the cookies will be different and they will be less soft.
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Nankhatai Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 grams chickpea flour (besan, gram flour) (½ cup)
- 240 grams all-purpose flour (maida) (2 cups)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 220 grams ghee (1 cup)
- 125 grams powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 5-6 almonds (slivered, for garnishing)
Instructions
- Add chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cardamom powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well
- Whisk ghee and powdered sugar in another large bowl until combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the ghee mixture and mix using your clean fingers to make a soft dough.
- Divide the dough into 22-24 equal parts and roll each part to make a ball. Gently press the balls and arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer.
- Note – If the baking tray is small, then make the nankhatai in batches.
- Press some slivered almonds on top of the cookies.
- Cover the tray with a cling wrap and refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (360℉).
- Once the oven is preheated, keep the tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, till slightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 weeks at room temperature.
Thanks so much for this recipe I tried it and it came out perfect.
I tried this recipe and it was the best recipe I have ever tried I substitute chickpeas flour with cornstarch flour and it came out perfectly…..thank u so much for sharing
Hello thank you for sharing your recipe, may I ask how much 1 cup equates to in grams? I am aiming to try these but don’t want to get them wrong with measurements 🙂
Each ingredient has different weight in grams per cup. Ex Maida 1 cup is about 120gms; Besan 1 cup is about 150gms; powdered sugar 1 cup is about 120gms; and 1 cup butter/ghee is about 225gms.
Thank you so much for this breakdown, that’s more than helpful, I will make them and surprise my Daddi today 🙂
Welcome!
I tried this recepie today and it came very soft and delicious
Thank you soo much for sharing
Thanks for trying 🙂
Tried ur nankhatai recipe….they turned really awsome…..Just wanted to know if i replace maida with whole wheat flour…should i keep all other ingredients same or any change is required especially in baking soda measurement….
Thnx Shubhada. happy that they turned out good for you. To use Whole wheat flour instead of Maida, just increase the amount of Baking soda a little bit.
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I used the same recipe and baked nan khatai. It turned out yum.. I am going to post pictures in fb.
Thnx for tryin the recipe Uma. I am happy they turned out good for you.
I see this recipe calls for.cardamom but it doesn’t say how much?
Hello Debbie. Thnx for noticing. Will edit the recipe. Thnx again