India · South Asia

Indian Nankhatai

Name: Indian Nankhatai
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Yield: 20 cookies
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour; 40 g (1/3 cup) fine semolina; 30 g (1/4 cup) chickpea flour (besan); 100 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar; 120 g (1/2 cup) ghee, soft; 1/2 tsp cardamom powder; Pinch of baking soda; Chopped pistachios to top

Melt-in-the-mouth eggless shortbread

🛂 Passport Stamp No.012 · Postmarked in India

20m

Prep

18m

Bake

20 cookies

Makes

Easy

Level

Jump to recipe ↓

Postmark · India

🏛 A little history

Nankhatai are spiced eggless shortbread cookies from the Indian subcontinent, often traced to the Surat region, where Dutch and Persian baking influences met local ingredients.

Flavored with cardamom and sometimes saffron and made rich with ghee, they are a classic teatime treat and a fixture of Diwali sweets.

👩‍🍳 Let's bake!

Beat ghee and powdered sugar until light and creamy.
Sift in the flours, cardamom, and baking soda; mix to a soft, smooth dough (don't overwork).
Roll into 20 balls and flatten slightly. Press a few chopped pistachios on top and make a small cross-mark.
Rest 10 minutes.
Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 16–18 minutes until the bottoms are set and tops are pale (they should not brown much).
Cool on the tray — they firm up as they cool.

💡 Chef Axl's tips

Soft, not melted, ghee gives the right crumbly texture.
Pull them before they brown; they crisp as they cool.

Pantry

All-Purpose Flour

The everyday workhorse for cakes, cookies, and breads.

🧺 Pantry staple

Pantry

Sugar

Sweetens and helps bakes turn golden and tender.

🧺 Pantry staple

Pantry

Brown Sugar

Adds sweetness and a soft, chewy texture.

🧺 Pantry staple

Pantry

Vanilla Extract

A splash of warm, sweet aroma in every batter.

🧺 Pantry staple

Tools

Parchment Paper

Non-stick lining so nothing sticks to the pan.

Find it in the Shop →

Decorating

Cookie Cutter Set

Stamp out fun shapes for cookies and fondant.

Find it in the Shop →

Tools

Rolling Pin

Tapered hardwood pin for smooth, even rolling.

Find it in the Shop →

Indian Nankhatai

🏛 A little history

👩‍🍳 Let's bake!

💡 Chef Axl's tips

Shop this recipe

All-Purpose Flour

Sugar

Brown Sugar

Vanilla Extract

Parchment Paper

Cookie Cutter Set

Rolling Pin

Keep travelling ✈

Japanese Castella (Kasutera)

Indian Naan