Nankhatai Recipe (Besan Indian Shortbread Cookies)
Crumbly eggless nankhatai with besan, sooji, a little maida, cardamom, and ghee. Optional atta for a nuttier crumb. Rest, shape, and bake until pale golden.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup besan gram flour; sifted if lumpy
- 1/4 cup fine sooji semolina
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour maida
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour atta; optional, for a slightly heartier crumb
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup powdered sugar adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom seeds crushed or finely ground
- 1/2 cup ghee melted and cooled until just warm, plus more if needed to bind
Instructions
Rub ghee into dry ingredients
- In a wide bowl, whisk besan, sooji, all-purpose flour, optional atta, powdered sugar, and cardamom until combined. Pour in warm ghee. Rub with fingertips until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds when squeezed. Add ghee one teaspoon at a time if it still crumbles completely; chill ten minutes if it feels oily.
Rest the dough
- Press into a flat disk, cover, and rest at room temperature twenty minutes so the sooji hydrates slightly.
Shape
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Divide dough into balls (about one generous tablespoon each), place two inches apart, flatten gently, and mark with a fork if desired.
Bake and cool
- Bake until tops look set and bases are pale golden, about fifteen to eighteen minutes. Cool on the sheet five minutes, then transfer to a rack. Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight tin with parchment between layers.
Notes
Maida adds tenderness; atta is optional for a nuttier note. Omit atta for a more classic besan-forward cookie.
If cookies brown too fast, lower oven ten degrees and shorten bake slightly next batch.
Shelf life about one to two weeks in a cool, dry kitchen when stored airtight.
If cookies brown too fast, lower oven ten degrees and shorten bake slightly next batch.
Shelf life about one to two weeks in a cool, dry kitchen when stored airtight.
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