Nankhatai recipe - These are traditional eggless Indian cookies. It is flavored with cardamom powder.
The texture is buttery and soft with melt in your mouth kind. Here I have reduced the butter quantity, so this is not like the store bought one (which makes your hand greasy). Even though I have used the less butter, but we are not compromising the taste of the
The recipe also calls for the ground almonds. It also adds some nutty flavor to the nankhatai. Much better than the old plain traditional one.
When I was little in India, we didn’t have the oven at home that time.. So mom creates an ‘oven’ kind of thingy.
In the large aluminium pot, she put sand at the bottom. and heat that pot covered with lid on the stove top. As the sand heats up, it creates the oven kind heat inside the pot. Then she bakes the nankhatai in that pot. That is little tedious process. She makes this way only few days before the Diwali.
Check out other nankhatai recipes
Whole wheat nankhatai // Chocolate nankhatai // Coconut nankhatai
How to make Nankhatai recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degree F or 180 degree C for at least 10 minutes.
2) Prepare the baking sheet. Line a sheet using the parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper then skip it. No need to grease the sheet.
3) In a bowl, take all purpose flour, ground almonds, salt and cardamom powder.
4) Mix it well till everything is incorporated well.
5) Take softened butter in another bowl.
6) Add powdered sugar in it.
7) Now using the wire whisk, start beating the mixture. In beginning it clumps together, but no worries, keep scraping and beating.
8) beat it till you get smooth consistency. Also all the sugar is incorporated well.
9) Add flour mixture and switch to the spatula.
10) Mix it using spoon or spatula. Everything will come together like a crumbly dough.
11) Now using hand knead it and make like a dough.
12) Now shape the nankhatai. Take a tablespoon size of the dough. Make smooth ball and flatten it out slightly. Make sure there are no cracks. Arrange them on a cookie sheet about few inches apart.
13) bake into pre heated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes in the sheet itself.
14) Then using the spatula, transfer them on the cooling rack.
15) Let them cool completely.
16) The color of it won't’ change much from the top. But the bottom will be slightly golden brown.
Storing: Once they cools down, store in airtight container. At room temperature, they stay good for 2 weeks. You can freeze the unbaked cookie balls. Arrange them on the sheet, freeze in the freezer. Once frozen, store them in container or ziplock bag in the freeze. Whenever you are ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake. The baking time will be few minutes longer than mentioned above.
Serving suggestion: You can serve this a dessert. But usually people prefers to have it as a snack with cup of tea or coffee. Kids just like to munch on as such. these are also served to the guests on the occasion of Diwali or New year’s day.
Notes:
- It is important to have butter at room temperature. Keep it on counter top for 30-45 minutes for soft butter. If you are in hurry, microwave stick of butter for 3-4 seconds then turn it and again microwave it for 3-4 seconds then again turn it and so on. Do this process for 4-5 times and you have soft room temperature butter. Microwave time is depends on your type of microwave so set time accordingly.
- The sugar is powdered sugar. This is NOT regular sugar and ground to powder form. it is known as Confectioner’s sugar or Powdered Sugar. In Indian, it known as Boora which we use while making laddu or other sweets.
- The original recipe is from a cookbook 5 Spices, 50 Dishes: Simple Indian Recipes Using Five Common Spices by Ruta Kahate
. It uses 2 tablespoons of rice flour. Instead of that I have used all purpose flour here in the recipe. - I have tried with rice flour as well. It makes them little hard and crispy. I like the softer texture, so I have used all purpose flour, Many readers have tried with rice flour and they like the texture. You can use if you want.
. It uses 2 tablespoons of rice flour. Instead of that I have used all purpose flour here in the recipe.
Nankhatai
Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons All purpose flour (Maida)
- 2 tablespoons Almonds grind into powder
- 1 teaspoon Green cardamom seeds powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt If using salted butter then skip the salt
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup Powdered sugar (Confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar) (Boora or tagar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F or 180 degree C for at least 10 minutes.
- Prepare the baking sheet. Line a sheet using the parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper then skip it. No need to grease the sheet.
Making nankhatai recipe:
- In a bowl, take all purpose flour, ground almonds, salt and cardamom powder.
- Mix it well till everything is incorporated well.
- Take softened butter in another bowl. Add powdered sugar in it.
- Now using the wire whisk, start beating the mixture. beat it till you get smooth consistency.
- Add flour mixture and switch to the spatula.
- Mix it using spoon or spatula. Everything will come together like a crumbly dough.
- Now using hand knead it and make like a dough.
- Now shape the nankhatai. Take a tablespoon size of the dough. Make smooth ball and flatten it out slightly. Make sure there are no cracks.
- Arrange them on a cookie sheet about few inches apart.
- bake into pre heated oven for about 18-20 minutes.
- Let it cool for 5 minutes in the sheet itself.
- Then using the spatula, transfer them on the cooling rack.
- Let them cool completely.
I made it today ......its yummy and delicious.... lovely
Good to know. Thanks for the feedback
Why u dont use any sort of baking powder in nankhatai?
Without using does it give same result as shown in picture?
Plz do rep
No need to use baking powder.
I have made it without baking powder and you will get the same result as shown in the pic
I just made it.... Awesome yummy and so healthy.... Adding almonds was so healthy... Thank you so much....
Glad to know that you like it
Just made these today ... Perfect recipe 🙂 only thing was I needed to add a tablespoon of milk because the dough wasn't forming. And I didn't put rice flour I substitute that with all purpose flour .. They turned out really good .. Can't wait till my husband gets home and try it he will love them I know thanks again Kanan for another perfect recipe
Very happy to know that nankhatai turned out good. 🙂
Hello!
I really want to make this but I do not have rice flour! can I just use more all purpose flour?
Thank you!
yes you can