Nankhatai Recipe | Nankhatai Biscuit
Nankhatai is a traditional cardamom-spiced Indian shortbread cookie loved by both kids and adults. A very popular snack found in most Indian bakeries, this delicious treat pairs perfectly with your evening cup of chai tea. I share two ways of making Nankhatai recipe. The traditional way with all-purpose flour and a slightly healthier version of nankhatai biscuit with whole wheat flour.
What is Nankhatai
Nankhatai is a popular tea time cookie that can easily be found in most Indian bakery shops, especially during Diwali. More commonly known as Indian shortbread cookies or biscuits, nankhatai is one of those classic, nostalgic family favorite recipes that everyone loves.
I still remember my mom and her friends making these melt-in-your-mouth biscuits in the local bakery when I was younger. Growing up, even when ovens were a rarity, all the neighborhood kids would look forward to the huge trays of warm, fresh nankhatai.
Made with all-purpose flour, sugar and ghee (clarified butter), these Indian shortbread cookies have a tender, crumbly texture. They can also be made with butter and spiced with cardamom or nutmeg for a little extra flavor.
2 Recipes, Same Great Nankhatai
In this post I am sharing two different ways of how to make nankhatai. The first recipe, which is the version I prefer and recommend, is more traditional and (I think) results in a tastier cookie. The second recipe, made with whole wheat flour instead, is a bit more healthy.
- Recipe 1: Made with All Purpose Flour, Gram Flour (Besan) & Ghee
- Recipe 2: Made with Whole Wheat Flour & Butter
How to Make Nankhatai
Preparation
1. First take ½ cup sugar (100 grams) in a grinder jar.
2. Then grind the sugar granules into a fine powder and set aside. At this point, go ahead and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Now take the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl or pan. Add ⅓ to ½ cup semi solid ghee (at room temperature) or butter (at room temperature). In weight the ghee measures about 70 grams.
Make sure that the ghee is in semi-solid state and not melted or in a liquid state. It should have a grainy texture. Also do not use cold solidified ghee.
Note if using powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar, add about ¾ cup.
4. With an electric mixer or blender, begin to cream the sugar and butter for the nankhatai dough. You can also use a food processor to do the same.
5. At this point, the mixture should become smooth, light, fluffy and creamy.
Make Nankhatai Dough
6. Now add the below listed dry ingredients to a sieve:
- 1 cup all purpose flour (125 grams)
- ⅓ cup gram flour/besan (about 40 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
If you do not prefer the aroma of baking soda in your cookies, then either add about ¼ teaspoon of it or choose to omit adding it.
7. Then sift the dry ingredients and set aside.
8. Then add the ½ tablespoon curd (yogurt) to the creamed ghee plus sugar.
9. Mix thoroughly.
10. Then add the sifted dry ingredients. Also add 2 tablespoon of fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat).
11. Now add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder (or grated nutmeg) to the nankhatai mixture.
12. Begin to mix the flour with the creamed ghee with a spoon or spatula.
13. Gently bring together the whole mixture to a dough. If you are not able to bring together the mixture and its crumbly, then add 2 to 4 tablespoons milk which is at room temperature or cold.
Gently mix the milk with the mixture and form a dough. Do not knead the dough like you do for roti or naan dough.
Roll into Cookie Portions
14. After that, pinch medium to large sized balls from the nankhatai dough. Lightly roll them in your palms and slightly flatten them.
Place them in a baking tray. Keep some space between them as they expand and flatten while baking.
15. Optionally, you can press chironji or almonds on the top slightly. You can also make some criss cross designs on the nankhatai with a fork or toothpick.
Bake Nankhatai Biscuit
16. Finally, bake the nankhatai in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden or golden.
Note: Oven temperatures vary, so it may take less or more time. Make sure you keep an eye on your nankhatai while they’re baking!
17. Keep on the baking tray for two to three minutes. Then remove the nankhatai biscuits with oven gloves on your hands and place them on wire racks to cool.
When cooled, store the nankhatai in an air tight container. These keep well for a couple of weeks in a cool dry place at room temperature.
How to make Whole Wheat Nankhatai
Wherever possible, I prefer to bake cookies and cakes using whole wheat flour. These whole wheat nankhatai are not as crumbly and tender as the ones made with all-purpose flour but they taste good. They also have the nutty taste of wheat flour.
Since they are made from whole wheat flour, they are a better alternative than the one made with all-purpose flour. I have also added besan (gram flour) to give some crumbly texture.
The recipe yields 300 grams or 14 to 15 medium sized cookies. The recipe can be doubled too. Make these nankhatai biscuit this Diwali and serve them as a tea time cookie snack.
If you like baking with whole wheat flour do check my recipes of Butter Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies that are made with whole wheat flour.
Prep
1. In a grinder jar, take ⅓ cup sugar (70 grams), seeds from 4 to 5 green cardamoms, a pinch of saffron strands and ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg.
2. Grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.
If you have powdered sugar already, then use ½ cup of powdered sugar along with ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder, ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg and a few crushed saffron strands.
3. Grease a tray or pan very well with 1 to 2 teaspoon butter or ghee. Also preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven should be preheated 15 minutes before baking.
Make Dough
4. In a sieve, take 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta), 2 tablespoons gram flour (besan) and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Add ¼ teaspoon baking powder if you do not have baking soda.
You can also add a pinch of salt at this step, if using unsalted butter or ghee. If using salted butter then skip adding salt.
5. Sift the dry mixture very well in a mixing bowl or pan.
6. To the sifted flour mixture add approximate ½ cup or 70 grams of cold or chilled butter. You can also use ½ cup of ghee in semi solid state.
7. With your fingertips break the butter and mix with the flour. You can cut the butter in the flour with two knives too or with a pastry cutter.
This can also be achieved with a food processor or a stand mixer. If the butter melts while mixing with your hands, then it is fine.
8. Mix till you get a bread crumb like texture in the mixture.
9. Now add the powdered sugar.
10. Lightly mix with your hands.
11. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. The amount of milk to be added depends on the quality of flour. The mixture should be able to come together and hold easily.
If required you can also add overall 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk. I added 2 tablespoons milk. Add the milk in parts and mix.
12. Gently bring together the dough into a ball.
13. Do not knead the dough. Just gently mix and gather the mixture to a dough.
14. Now pinch small or medium sized balls from the dough and lightly roll them between your palms. Place the balls on the greased baking tray.
15. You can gently press them to flatten them. You can also make designs on them with a fork or toothpick.
I used a peda design maker to lightly flatten as well as to give a pattern on the top.
16. Here is the tray ready to go in the oven. If you want you can sprinkle and lightly press some chopped dry fruits like pistachios, almonds etc from the top.
Bake Wheat Nankhatai
17. Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 mins till light golden or golden.
Since oven temperatures vary, it may takes less or more time. So do keep a check.
Once baked, after 2 to 3 minutes, remove them from the tray and keep on a wire rack for cooling.
Don’t brown them too much as then they the crust becomes too dense and hard. A light golden color on the top keeps them soft and crumbly.
For convection ovens use the preheating and baking temperature of 170 degrees Celsius/338 degrees Fahrenheit.
18. When cooled at room temperature, store them in an air tight jar. Serve whole wheat nankhatai biscuit as a tea time cookie.
Expert Tips
- Don’t leave out the besan or sooji. In these nankhatai recipe I have added some besan (gram flour) and sooji (rava or semolina). The besan gives a slight nutty taste and flavor while the sooji adds to the crispiness and crunchiness.
- Ghee consistency: The correct consistency is one the key and crucial point in making the perfect nankhatai biscuit. The ghee has to be in a semi-solid state and have a grainy or granular texture. If the ghee is completely melted or in a liquid state, keep it in the fridge for some minutes. Also remember, not to use cold solidified ghee as it will not be easy to whip.
- Do not knead the nankhatai like we do for roti dough or bread dough. Just gather the mixture to a form a cookie dough.
- More cookies, more joy! Make them in bulk and store in an airtight container to enjoy them for the next few days. Easily double or triple this recipe.
FAQs
What do you serve with nankhatai?
This popular Indian snack goes perfectly with an evening cup of chai tea.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
This nankhatai recipe makes 10 large nankhatai, but you can easily make small to medium shaped ones. You can also double or triple this recipe.
Can I use powdered sugar or confectioner’s instead of grinding the sugar?
Yes. If you are using ready powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar, then add ¾ cup for the traditional nankhatai recipe and ½ cup for the whole wheat nankhatai biscuit.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Nankhatai Recipe | Nankhatai Biscuit
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour – 125 grams
- ⅓ cup gram flour (besan) – 40 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda – can add ¼ teaspoon or skip baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sooji (fine rava or cream of wheat) – 20 grams
- 2 to 3 pinches nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg or ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ⅓ to ½ cup Ghee (semi solid) or butter at room temperature, 70 grams
- ½ cup sugar 100 to 110 grams sugar or ¾ cup powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar or add as per taste
- ½ tablespoon Curd (yogurt)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons milk – at room temperature or cold
- 10 almonds or pistachios or chironji (charoli), or any preferred nuts, optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Powder the sugar finely in a grinder or spice-grinder.
- Then cream the ghee and powdered sugar with a electric mixer or blender. You can also cream in a food processor.
- The mixture should become smooth, light and creamy.
- Sift the following dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, besan (gram flour), baking powder and baking soda. Keep the sifted dry ingredients aside.
- Add curd (yogurt) to the creamed ghee and sugar mixture. Mix very well.
- Now add the sifted dry ingredients. Also add the sooji (rava or cream of wheat), cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
- Gently mix everything. Do not knead.
- Just mix and gather to a smooth dough. If the mixture is too crumbly and you cannot bring together to a dough, then add 1 to 3 tablespoons of milk at a time. Mix lightly and bring the mixture to a dough.
Shaping Nankhatai
- Pinch medium sized balls from the dough.
- Roll them evenly in your palms. Slightly flatten them. Press chironji or almonds on the top lightly.
- You can also make some criss cross designs on the nankhatai with a fork or toothpick.
Baking Nankhatai Biscuit
- Place the nankhatai in a baking tray.
- Keep some space between them as they expand while baking.
- Bake the nankhatai in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 mins till light golden.
- Remove and place them on wire racks, so that they cool at room temperature.
- When cooled, store the nankhatai in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Tips:
- Keep in mind not to knead the dough. Simply, combine, gather the ingredients and form a dough.
- Try to add the gram flour and rava as mentioned in the recipe. If you skip either, you will need to change the proportion of ghee and sugar.
- If you prefer, you can skip adding baking soda or add in lesser amounts.
- Ensure that the ghee is in a semi-solid state and not melted or solidified.
- As the temperatures vary in different oven models, keep an eye while baking. If the nankhatai are not baked enough then bake them for some more minutes.
- The recipe is scaleable to make a small batch or a big batch for festivals.
To make nankhatai in microwave oven
- You cannot make nankhatai in the microwave mode of the microwave oven. However if your microwave oven has convection option, then you can use the convection mode (option) to make them in the microwave oven.
- Pre heat the microwave oven in the convection mode at 170 degree celsius for 10 minutes. Then bake the nankhatai in the preheated microwave oven in the convection mode at 170 degrees celsius for 15 to 20 minutes or till light golden.
Nutrition
Whole Wheat Nankhatai
Ingredients
Method
- In a grinder jar, take the sugar, seeds from 4 to 5 green cardamoms, a pinch of saffron strands and grated nutmeg.
- Grind to a fine powder. Keep aside. If you have powdered sugar already, then use ½ cup of powdered sugar.
- Grease a tray or pan very well with 1 to 2 tsp butter or ghee. Also preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius/356 degrees fahrenheit.
- In a seive, take the whole wheat flour (atta), gram flour and baking soda. Add ¼ teaspoon baking powder if you do not have baking soda.
- Sift the dry mixture very well in a mixing bowl or pan.
- To the sifted flour mixture add cold or chilled butter. You can also use ½ cup of ghee in semi-solid state.
- With your fingertips break the butter and mix with the flour. You can cut the butter in the flour with two knives too. This can also be achieved with a food processor or a stand mixer. If the butter melts while mixing with your hands, then its fine.
- Mix till you get a bread crumb like texture in the mixture.
- Now add the powdered sugar and lightly mix with your hands.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. The amount of milk to be added depends on the quality of flour. The mixture should be able to come together and hold itself. If required you can also add overall 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk. I added 2 tablespoons of milk. Add the milk in parts and mix.
- Gently bring together the dough into a ball. Do not knead the dough. Just gently mix.
- Now pinch small or medium-sized balls from the dough and lightly roll them. Place the balls on the greased baking tray.
- You can gently press them to flatten them. You can also make designs on them with a fork or toothpick. I used a peda design maker to lightly flatten as well as to give a pattern on the top.
- Bake them in the pre heated oven at 180 degrees c/356 degrees fahrenheit for 20 to 25 mins till light golden or golden.
- Since oven temperatures vary, it may takes less or more time. So do keep a check.
- After 2 to 3 minutes, remove them from the tray and keep on a wire rack for cooling.
- When cooled at room temperature, store in an airtight jar. Serve Whole Wheat Nankhatai as a tea time cookie.
Notes
- Remember not to knead the dough.
- If using ghee instead of butter, ensure the ghee is in a semi-solid state.
- You can also use fine jaggery powder instead of sugar in this recipe. If the jaggery powder has small granules, run it through a mixer-grinder to get a fine powder.
- The recipe can be scaled easily to make a smaller portion or a larger portions.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This Nankhatai Recipe from the archives first published in October 2013 has been republished and updated on 22 October 2022.
It didn’t turn out the way it’s shown on pics ..it gone flat after keeping in oven just like flat cookies.
Don’t know where did I made mistake.
Thanks
Did you use the correct measuring cups as mentioned in the recipe. Looks like the ghee has become too much. Sometimes due to the quality and consistency of ghee this may happen.
Really nice recipe … tried at home ?
Thanks for the feedback.
Quick, easy, yummy
Hiii mam my nankhatai is too hard like a biscuits instead of soft I bake for 25min even though its hard pls guide mam
meenu, looks like they have got baked too much or they the moisture content is less in them or the dough has got kneaded. if the dough is kneaded, the nankhatai will become hard. wait for some hours. the texture will change and the hardness will reduce a bit. hope this helps.
Hi dassana, The nankhtais turned out nice, but if we don’t want to add besan and suji, can we increase the same amount in maida as that of besan and suji combined ? All your recipes are explained in a very detailed way. Keep up the good work ????????Thanks
thanks nita. you can overall add 1.25 cups maida. then you may not need to add milk or add very less milk just enough to bind the dough.
The cookies smelled great in the beginning, but the baking time is off. I did 18-minutes at 350degrees and that was just way too much; they were close to burned. I normally do my other cookies for about 12-15 minutes and will be remaking these with shortened bake time. I also recommend refrigerating the dough for about 30-minutes before baking. It helps solidify the fat and will prevent them from spreading so much when you bake them (as seems to be the problem for some folks).
tanu, timing varies from oven to oven. hence i always mention in my baking posts to keep a check while baking. some ovens bake faster and some take more time. the dough can be refrigerated. i have not mentioned nor do i refrigerate as traditionally for making nankhatais, dough is not refrigerated. but for people living in hot and humid climate zones, this is a good suggestion. thanks for sharing.
Dear Dassana,
The Nankhatais were excellent!!Thanks for emphasizing on the cream like consistency of the ghee. That was key I think. Have a Merry Christmas!!
Love,
Dalia
thanks dalia. glad to know. wish you a merry christmas and happy new year.
Hi,
I tried your receipe today followed by each and every step exactly with accurate measurement…but my nankhatai flattened and became biscuit shaped…pls help…
jyoti, try not to make the size thin. depending on the quality of ghee or butter used, the nankhatais can flatten. even if they are made thin they will flatten. so you can just roll them like pedas and keep. when baking they will spread and flatten. hope this helps.
Hi there
Im gonna be making this recipe
Hope i get my cracks same like yours????????????
Afff, I am sure you will like the taste of nankhatai.
my nankhatai turned flat despite accurate measurements.pl guide
when making nankhatai do not flatten them too much. keep them thick. too much of fat can also flatten them.
hi dear
all went well n great
but
why did my nankhatai flatten more than it should have and also why its breaking up after removing from the baking tray
please advice
vedika, looks like the nankhatai has become too crumbly. did you make them thin. if yes then they will flatten more and become crumbly. the crumbliness also could be due to the quality of butter used.
Excellent ! Kid and Husband just love it. Going to make second batch. Can I double the amount you mentioned in the recipe?
thanks shabistan for the feedback and glad to know that your family liked the nankhatais. of course you can double the amount. in case the mixture does not bind, then some more milk can be added.
hi dassana i hve made these cookies in pressure cooker and they are turn out super yummy and delicious..thankuu
welcome sabjot. glad to know this.
I tried but instead of nan khatai they turned out to be excellent homemade cookies….i dont know which ingredient i have put more but still it tastes good!!!
Thanks Akanksha. I can’t say what went different. but glad that end result was good.
Hey can I use hand blender the one that is use to make smoothies???
you can use a hand blender.
Hi this is deepa,I follow the receipe but unfortunately the ghee and milk proportion was more than what u explain.
So it gets very flat and oily after bake.
But the dough is balance should I keep the dough in refrigerator and bake tomorrow.
please help.
Next time for this proportion can I take 100 grm Amul butter packet
deepa, i have measured the proportions and given. these nankhatais are not oily. did you use the correct cup measurement (1 cup = 250 ml) or the correct grams measurement. you can refrigerate and bake later. also in summers, the dough will look greasy as the ghee will be in a melted form. 100 grams butter will be slightly too much. so you can remove 2 to 3 tablespoons from it and then use.
Hello mam , im a frequent visitor of ur website and i have done so many receipes and all came out very well , but this one don’t know whr i went wrong i got my nan katais like papads tastes good but still not that crispy taste and all r flattened pls need ur suggestion , luv ur receipes with step by step pics very well explained by u thanq …
Thanks Rajni. Looks like the ghee has become too much. thats why they have got flattened. do not shape them too thin. if they get over baked then they will have texture like papad. shape them slightly thick.
They are pretty good. Not the naan khatai I remember eating as a kid, but these are good cookies.
Hello
I did this recipe twice. Once followed it truly and next time substituted besan with cocoa powder. Both the times it was super tasty. Only issue was in my chocolaty nankhatai sugar was bit less.
I visit your blog daily and try out new stuff. The pictures are awesome and never does a single recipe fail me.
I have earned quite a name in my home and at work place for the recipes i make.Thanx so much
thank you pallavi for sharing this. after seeing your feedback, i will also make a chocolate version of nankhatai. thanks again for this lovely feedback.
Hi
Plz tell me the quantity of rice flour.because I don’t want to use sooji.
tajinder, just add 2 tablespoons rice flour instead of sooji.
Great recipe. Turned out very well. Had to add a little milk as otherwise was a bit dry. An almond on top was a great addition.
thanks pradipto for the feedback on nankhatai recipe. some more milk can always be added, if the dough looks dry. the addition of liquids depends on the quality of flour.
Made these today for Diwali celebrations and they turned out amazing! So amazing that I ended up making a second batch! Thanks so much for the recipe! 🙂
glad to know neelam. thanks a lot.
Hi. what should be the measurements of the ingredients if I have to make 50 nankhatai. Should I make the measurements 5 times than thise already given.
Do you think it will come out fine. Please help. I wish to make these for diwali.
pratichi, increase everything 5 times. if you want, you can reduce the amount of ghee or butter a bit. it will turn out fine.
what should be the amount of butter to be used if i increase everything 5 times?
pratichi, butter also to be increased 5 times.
Hii dassna..I m big fan of ur cooking style & recipe..I follow them blindly..n they always turn applaudable for me…but I have few queries..like can I use stainless steel plate for baking cookies & nan khatai as I don’t found baking tray any were in my location… Plz reply
thanks pragati. avoid stainless steel in oven. they do not take well to higher temperatures. see if you purchase aluminium baking trays or pans online.
Amitji,
I follow your recipe of nankhatai 2 times…
But i could not able to make it in my IFB Convection Microwave Oven of 30L…
Will you do favour to me, plz
alpana, can you tell me what the issues or problems you face eg the texture of nankhatai or getting too much baked etc or is it something to do with the oven.
I’ve a grill combi microwave…. can I make these nankhatai in it… if yes then in which mode? Please tell me
convection mode is needed shona. grill mode also works like convection mode. so you can try in grill mode, but i am not sure how the results will be. also the time will vary.
I tried this nankatai recipe….it turned out really nice…my kids r loving it…thank you Dassana
pleased to know this thank you abhriruchi for the positive feedback 🙂
You mention that your measuring cup used is 1 cup=250 ml but then in the recipe the quantity of ingredients is half, i.e., maida 1 cup=125 grams and so on. Please help me out.
1 cup is 250 ml, where volume is measured in litres. when weighing solid substances they are measured in grams and not litres. so maida added to this cup gives a weight of 125 grams separately. i first take the atta or maida in the cup. then throw all the maida from the cup in a weighing machine and weigh it separately. hope this helps.
baking soda and baking poweder mein kya difference hai sir idhar kewal baking poweder hi milta hai
priyanka, baking soda is just sodium bicarbonate. whereas baking powder is a dry mixture of sodium bicarbonate or baking soda, an acidifying agent like cream of tartar and corn starch. hope this helps.
if we don’t have microwave or oven there is some alternate of making nankhatai
you can use a pressure cooker. but use the pressure cooker then for baking only. remove the rubber ring (gasket) and whistle (vent weight) while baking in a pressure cooker. you can check this pav recipe to see how the baking is done in a pressure cooker – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pav-recipe-in-pressure-cooker/
I have tried dis recepie..result was gud but there was a kinda bitter flavour at. End
bitter flavor is due to the rancidity of the ghee. meaning the ghee is past its shelf life or will get spoiled soon. whenever butter or ghee are close to getting spoiled, then they turn bitter. otherwise there is no way the nanakhatais can taste bitter. hope this helps.
can this recipe be doubled to make more cookies
yes pratichi you could double up the quantity to make more nankhatais.
Hi, I am a fan of your recipes. Just wanted to know if we can make these in air fryer? Would be glad if you can share some air fryer recipes as well.
i think you can make. recently we got an air fryer and i did fry samosas in it. not tried cookies though. but as per the instructions manual, you can bake a lot of stuff in it. so i think even biscuits or nankhatais can be made. let me know if you are looking for any air fryer recipes. i can try them and then add on the blog.
Hi. I tried this recipe but the cookies are sift, as in its not fully dried. Don’t know what went wrong.
I mean soft. Not sift.
try baking for some more time. the softness will go away.
Can I use refine oil instead of butter/ghee.
prferably ghee or butter would be great. hope this help;s you rini but you could try with oil but the taste and texture would differ.
Please tell me that how can i make it in cooker , as i dont have oven to bake it?
you can check the method on the this link – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pav-recipe-in-pressure-cooker/
instead of pav, keep the nankhatai in the baking pan. grease the pan very well with ghee/butter/oil. bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
I love all ur reciepes
I have tried lot of them
I want to know tat if i want to make choclate cookies in whole wheat….what proportion should i take?
thankyou himangini you could make whole wheat cookies with whole wheat flour using a cup or adding some maida by taking proportion of 1:1 of maida and whole wheat flour. Hope this help’s you thanks.
nice
Hi..
Ur blog is really fantastic.
Thanks for all the step by step guidelines.
I have tried out most of your cakes and cookies. .and they really turned out awesome. .Thanks. .
Actually I have a query. To cream sugar and butter do we need a beater or food processor? Can it done by hand? If so how?
Please guide.
Thanks in advance.
thankyou indu for your kind and positive words. you could cream butter and sugar manually with a spatula or whisker until they appear light and fluffy. alternatively you could use a beater until they appear light and fluffy. hope this help’s you 🙂
Hi,
I made these and they were amazingly tasty.. Thank you for posting such easy recipes. If I need anything new that I want to prepare I come to your site..
Your site is the best!!
Pooja
pleased to know this pooja thankyou so much for your positive words 🙂
U are beauty wid talent…plz accept my heartfelt regards..ur blog is d only saviour we novices look upto…urs is d only blog we refer to on daily basis..and today we have acquired grt taste in our cookery coz of ur blog only..d stepwise depiction and pics are help greatly…lucky to have come across ur blog..and now there is no turning back..ma annpurna…hats off to u..‼
we are quite pleased to know this divya thankyou for your kind, positive and encouraging words 🙂 glad you stumbled our blog and god bless you.
Hello
My nankhatis flattened while baking and became like a big cookie … Also it was not at all soft …
The lowest side became brown very soon even though I had kept it on centre rack on a tray … Do u think baking on a butter paper or would help ?
Thanks
they do flatten while baking. i guess they were rolled or flattened to much and hence they have got browned soon and have not become soft. yes you can use butter paper.
Nice recepie , will try it soon. Ur recepies r easy b Delicious.
thanks deep
Its easy and very tasty
thanks rekha
My pleasure 😀
what’s the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
uzma, baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate – when moistened releases carbon dioxide which helps in rising of baked stuff.
baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, an acidifying agent (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch). same function as baking soda. however baking soda is more strong.
Thanks a lot!?????❤
welcome uzma
OMG! This is amazing, I love baking and today my dad was extremely happy since I made his favourite dish for the first time!!! ;D
thanks uzma for sharing positive feedback.
Do you have a recipe for nankhatai made with all purpose flour and cream of wheat. If you do can I have it please.
hi jenny, in this same recipe, you could add 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup gram flour and 1/4 cup cream of wheat. i make this way too.
What is besan an gram flour, or what’s d substitute? Tanx
welcome jenny. besan is gram flour.
Can I use cream of wheat instead of gram\besan flour,together with all purpose.
replied to you jenny.
I love nankhatai.. finally i can make them in my home..thnks a lot! Bt What do u call nutmeg powder in Hindi??
welcome yamini. nutmeg powder is called jaiphal or jaitoon in hindi.
Hi Dassana,
How are you? It’s been a while since I wrote to you. I was browsing through the nankhatai recipe and then decided to go through the Q&As as well. Nutmeg is called jaiphal in Hindi. Jaitoon is olive.
Regards,
Neeti
i am fine neeti. hope the same for you. yes i have written that in error. jaitoon is olives in hindi. thanks for the correction.
I made it in microwave convection. It was tasty to eat and beautiful to look at. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe
welcome krisha. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
hi.. i love all ur recipes..have tried many of them ….all turned out perfect… i tried this in microwave at 15 mins , but after 15 min it turned out like cookies…taste wise good but not like naankhatai which is soft when broken …why it is that…and second batch of naan khatai got burned at only 10 mins… plz give me solution
hone, did you try in microwave mode or convection mode of microwave oven?
Hi Dassana love all your receipes. Please tell me which mode to use in microwave and how to preheat the microwave. Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda.
baking soda is required. you have to use convection mode of your microwave oven. it has the temperature setting in celsius. just heat the microwave for 10 to 12 minutes, in the convection mode at the temperature mentioned in the recipe, without keeping anything inside the oven. the door has to be locked.
My microwave has grill and combi options. Can i bake it in this oven?
not sure. since grill cooking is similar to convection baking, so i think you can try. don’t use combi option.
I had tried moong dal Ka halwa and its tasted really good!.. I got a lot of appreciation.. Thank you for uploading such yummy recipes! I am very fond of cooking n happy that such sites are available for beginners like me
welcome kuhelika. glad to know that you liked the halwa and the website.
Hii…can we bake dis receipe in otg
monika, i have baked nankhataki in OTG only.
Thnx for sharing d nice recipe.it turned great ❗
welcome divya
Maine abbi hal banai…achchhi bani hai….par bichme thodi kachchhi lag rahi thi….apke photos or measurements as good..Thanks
thanks. thode time ke liye aur bake karo. toh phir kachhi nahin lagegi.
I dnt hv nutmeg.. Is it ok or i need to add..whtz d substitute of it as in kuwait i cnt find it.. Also in butter cookies u hv used it so plz gimme a substitute or can it do widout it.. Thxx
skip nutneg jamila. no need to add it in this or butter cookies recipe.
Okk thxx shall try n let u knw d result
welcome jamila
Hi. My nankhatais didn’t turn out soft. On cooling, they were more biscuit-y than being soft crumbly like nankhatais are. Also, my dough was cracking on sides when I formed the balls. What could be the reason?
shivangi, i think some problem with the dough. if the dough was formed well then the final texture would have been soft.
Can I use an electric beater instead of the blender?
shivangi, yes you can use.
Hello Dassana,
Another fabulous recipe and lovely detailed presentation as well.
Though i do not have a microwave or an OTG, I plan to buy an otg.
Can you help me by suggesting which one?? Which one do you use??
Regards
Kirti
thanks again kirti. OTG is a good investment for home baking. currently i have a basic 18 litre philips OTG which was actually the previous owner’s oven. its an old oven and is still working good. i plan to buy a new oven. did a lot of research and zeroed in on hamilton oven on amazon.in. not yet purchased the oven. my researching side will do some more research and then decide whether to buy the hamilton or not.
hi
i made these cookies today. at first when i got it out of the oven they were kinda soft n chewy but not soggy, then i left it for some time to cool down a bit.. after like 10 mins they were really nice.. then few guests came over n i served it to them.. by that time it became stone hard and i was soo sooo sooo embarrassed. 🙁 can u tell me what went wrong?? mine looks exactly like yours.. they look so beautiful i dont feel like throwing them 🙁 🙁 Is thr any way to make them eatable??
hi farah, nankhatais are crumbly and not hard. they should not become so hard. not sure what must have gone wrong. if you cannot eat them the way they are then i suggest to crumble them and add them as layers in parfaits or mousses.
Hey!!
I am a big fan of your recipes. All the measurements are so perfect. For this particular recipe, I wanted to know if I can make it with whole wheat flour and skip maida ? Also is adding baking soda completely essential or we can skip that also ?
Let me know 🙂
you can make the recipe with whole wheat flour. but the khatais will be slightly dense. baking soda is essential. gives a light soft texture. just don’t knead the dough. gather to a mixture and then form the nankhatais.
Hi, Can we bake this recipe in Gas Oven?
umar, you will have to try. i have never done it but i think the recipe should work.
Hello i tryd nankhatai but unfortunately they remained unbaked in middle, i guess shld hv baked for longer time. After 15min they started getting a golden colour so i removed them frm oven….later realised they were not baked in centre….Dassana.
mohini, bake the nankhatai again for some more minutes.
I made nankhatai.. it was really awesome and very tasty.. it was really worth baking for..
thanks sonia for sharing positive feedback.
Can I bake it in solo microwave?
paramita, you can not bake in microwave. you need convection mode.
Beautiful food
thanks manjunathann
Hi Dassana
I am your regular reader..
I tried this recipe at home . It was yummy very delicious. mostly I tried curries and paratha It was first time I tried a baking recipe and I am happy to tell you that everything which i tried was absolutely perfect and very testy :).
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
welcome poorna. thanks for sharing your positive feedback on recipes. do try some more baking recipes.
Hi Dassana
Next Day i tried punjabi mathri… and it was so crispy and very testy …
Thanks for sharing the recipes.. 🙂
welcome poorna
I have a samsung microwave oven. I tried baking them in convection feature but instead of baking the moisture from the cookies dried up and they became stiff. I don’t understand what went wrong.
i have replied to both your queries on this post here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/cheese-biscuits-recipe-cheese-biscuits/
We must first pre heat to. Oven after that use convection mode for baking….. it gives best baking results
thanks for your response.
You might want to change the baking temp from 200 C to a little lower,mine turned dark brown from the bottom and not cooked from inside with that temp,I suggest going with 325 f.
oven temperatures vary from various models to different kinds of oven. a major part in baking is how well the oven is heated up and is the baking uniform. for a oven with both top and bottom heating elements, for uniform baking, its always better to heat both the elements. from my experience, i always keep the cookie rack in the center. so that the cookies get baked and browned uniformly. with me, if i keep them at the bottom, then they get burnt and the insides are not cooked. you can try baking these nankhatais at the lower temperature of 160 C/325 F, which you are suggesting. i think even 180 C/356 F should work well.
hi
I hv just tried the recipe for nankhtai.. They hv become very hard like suji rusk after cool down.. Pls let me know why that happened.. Everything else is perfect only they hv become super cruncy 🙁
i think shipla, either the ghee and sugar has not been beaten well or they have got over baked or something went wrong with the dough.
Wow recipe is defined very well with delightful picture of nankhatai I was really looking for this! 🙂
thansk surbhi. glad to know that you liked the recipe.
Hi,,
Good Afternoon…
You describe very well, thank u for sharing this VVVIMP recipes..
welcome sachin
It came out very well..:-)…thanks for the recipe
thanks for the feedback.
what is yogurt and nutmeg powder?is it necessary to add dahi or yogurt
if i skip to add dahi or yogurt,the cookies become hard?
and can u tell me 2 tbl spoon means how much in ml
yogurt is what we call as dahi. thought the western yogurt is different than dahi. you have to add them. its better. difficult to tell since dahi is measured in grams and not ml.
Hi. Can pl.add some more recipes , can be make in simple oven. Thnx
will be updating such recipes.
I did not understand adding dahi/yogurt to nankhatai dough, i mean how does it help or wats the purpose?
it helps to make the nankhatais, soft and lighter.
Is it necessary to add yogurt in Nankhatai?
not necessary. you can skip.
Hi,
I tried this and it came out as shown in ur pics.i too used whole wheat and maida just like Ritu
Thanks
Tri
welcome triveni. glad to know this.
hi dassana
I have been following ur blog for a while now and tried many recipes.. al of them came out really well.
I tried these nan khatai also but they became hard once cooled.
I followed as it is but I don’t know what went wrong. infact my cookies started getting brown in just 15 mins so I had to stop baking them further otherwise they could have burnt.
the baking temperature varies from oven to oven. the nankhatais are soft. when i made they were soft and crumbly. the ghee and sugar has to be beaten very well till its smooth, light and fluffy. so i assume either its the creaming of ghee and sugar or the baking time. you can reduce the baking time to 7 to 8 mins. too much browning also makes them hard.
Thank you for the lovely recipe .
Ritu.
Hi! Amit tried this above nankhatai recipe . Instead of 1.5 cup maida i took 3/4 cup wheat flour and 3/4 cup maida and the nankhatai came out really well .and i took 1/4 tsp baking soda in the recipe you have written 1/4 tbsp baking soda .
thanks ritu for pointing out the error. that was a serious one. i have corrected to 1/4 tsp now. i am glad you changed the baking soda proportions and the nankhatais were good.
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for such a wonderful recipie. I have tried it n it was grt. My hubby is impressed.
Your posts are really very good and simple to follow.
Pls help with some more cookies or biscuits reciepies.
Regards,
Sujata Sachin
thanks sujata. i have cookie disasters always. its just the nankhatai that never fail me. i do plan to add some jeera biscuits and pista or dry fruit biscuits. not baking these days as its very hot here.
Hi,
Have you tried this with whole wheat flour? What adjustments need to be made to the recipe?
Thanks,
Priti
i have not yet tried making nankhatai with whole wheat flour. there will be a few adjustments that will be required as wheat flour ones will be slightly dense than these ones. but i do plan to post the wheat flour version in some time.
Hi,
I have tried nankhatai. But as they cooled they became hard. I don’t know where I was wrong? Pl. Guide me.
hard meaning, they became dense? these are not dense. the ones posted here are crumbly and were soft even after getting cooled. i am not sure what must have gone wrong.
Hello.I find this recepie quite simple and now wanna give it a try and want to make it in bulk.What proportions do you suggest for around 2 dozen cookies?
MZWS, just increase the ingredients proportionally.
i love n im gonna make it …
Hi Dassana,
You have mentioned besan under ingredients but you haven’t added it, what could be the reason for the same, could you advice me to add the same or not ???
Warm Regards
Reeti
thanks. i have forgotten to mention besan. i will add in the post. you add besan with the flour.