Nankhatai Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Nankhatai is an eggless, traditional Indian shortbread cookies. Learn how to make the best nankhatai in a few simple steps.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: cookies

Calories: 134kcal

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.
Let the dough rest in the fridge. Meanwhile, preheat the oven or OTG at 160-degree Celcius. Line a baking tray with a parchment paper 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.
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 before transferring to container.
Serve Nankhatai with a cup of masala tea or milk.

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.