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Nankhatai Recipe (Indian cookies)

By swasthi , on May 18, 2020, 130 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Nankhatai recipe – Delicious, light & crisp eggless cookies made with flour, ghee, cardamom powder and sugar. Nankhatai are traditional Indian shortbread cookies made with all-purpose flour, semolina, sugar and ghee. There are so many variations of nankhatais and can be made with different combinations of flour.

nankhatai

In the earlier days most Indian homes did not have an oven so these were baked in stovetop aluminium ovens & cookers.

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The recipe shared in this post will give you crisp nankhatai that are not only delicious but also have a unique flavor.

I make different kinds of cookies often for my kids. These nankhatai are the easiest and make a great snack to pack in the kids’ school box.

How is nankhatai made?

I have made the nankhatai in a simple way by just mixing up the dry ingredients and then combining it with ghee to make a dough. Then divided the dough to portions, rolled them to balls and then flattened. Baked until golden at 180 c.

Tips to make nankhatai

Flour : These were actually made with all-purpose flour or maida. However they also turn out good with wheat flour, or a combination of wheat flour and besan (gram flour). For healthier option make these with any whole grain flour.

Fats: This time I have made these nankhatais with ghee but I have made several times with melted butter or oil too. But ghee makes the best crisp nankhatais. If using oil, try using extra virgin coconut oil. I did not feel the flavor of oil in the cookies as I doubled the amount of cardamom powder.

Sugar: The recipe needs powdered sugar. I powdered the sugar in a small chutney jar. You can also use store bought icing sugar.

Cardamom powder: Nankahtais are flavoured with elaichi or cardamoms. To make cardamom powder, simply blend the cardamoms with sugar in the blender. You can also replace cardamom powder with vanilla or cinnamon if you like the flavours.

The first picture of nankhatai in this post was shared many years ago. These were made with more quantity of besan and little atta. The color of the cookies will depend on the combination of flour.

atta nankhatai

Related recipes:
Eggless chocolate cake
Biscuit cake
Ragi cake
Eggless Black Forest Cake
Eggless fruit cake

Preparation

1. Add wheat flour or maida to a mixing bowl.

2. Add besan or gram flour. You can substitute besan with maida or any nut meal or even with atta. But besan lends a good aroma to the nankhatai.

3. Next add sooji. It gives a light crunch. You can skip this completely and reduce a tbsp ghee in the recipe. You can also replace sooji with any nut meal. I used chiroti rava here but regular sooji works too.

4. Add cardamom powder and baking powder or baking soda. You can skip the baking powder or baking soda if using maida. But with atta they turn out too dense if you skip the leavening agent.

If you do not have cardamom powder, you can add some cardamom pods to the sugar and the powder them.

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5. Add powdered sugar. Measure half cup powder and not the sugar.

6. Mix all of them well together. Ensure all the ingredients have combined well especially the baking powder.

7. Measure 1/3 cup ghee and pour it in 3 parts. Mix well to make a dough adding more ghee as needed.

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8. The nankhatai dough should not be dry or crumbly but must bind together well. Do not knead it just bring the flour together with the help of ghee.

How to make nankhatai

9. Divide the mixture to 12 portions and roll to smooth balls. If the mixture is dry and crumbly it means you need more ghee. Just add a tsp of it and mix.

10. Flatten the balls and place them on the tray. You can make some design with the help of a fork or a skewer. I also garnished the nankhatai with some chopped pistachios. They usually get browned so you can also skip them.

11. Ensure your own is preheated for at least 15 mins at 180 C or 350 F. Bake them at 180 C or 350 F for 10 mins. When done the nankhatai will be golden and almost dry on the top.

12. Immediately remove to a wire rack and cool them completely. They will continue to brown at the bottom if you leave them in the hot tray.

Store nankhatai in a air tight steel or glass jar. They keep good for 2 to 3 weeks at room temperature.

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These are besan nankhatai made with 3/4 cup besan and 1/4 cup atta.

nankhatai recipe

More cookie recipes
Eggless ragi biscuits
Eggless choco chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies
Coconut ragi cookies

Substitutes

Besan : I always prefer besan or gram flour in nankhatai as it really elevates the flavor of the cookies. The aroma of the baked besan is unique and cannot be got by substituting it with any other ingredient.

However if you do not want to use it just replace with any nut powder, all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. The same amount of almond meal works well in this recipe.

Semolina or rava (suji) : The recipe uses 1 tbsp of fine semolina just to add a crunch to the nankhatai. I personally prefer the chiroti rava for this recipe.

Substitute it with the same amount of nut meal or flour. You can also just skip it and reduce 1 tbsp of ghee in the recipe.

Best combination of flour
¾ cup atta or maida, ¼ cup besan & 1 tbsp of semolina is what I have used in this recipe. You can also alter this proportions but the texture is not the same.

How to make nankhatai in cooker

If you do not own a oven, you can also make these in a heavy bottom pan or pressure cooker.

Fill 1 inch of the cooker base with crystal salt and then place a trivet or a ring or some stand. Preheat it well until hot for 10 to 15 mins.

Place the nankhatai on a plate and keep it on the stand/trivet. Ensure the cookies are in the center of the cooker (heightwise). Remove the gasket and close the lid. Bake on a low flame. Keep checking after 10 mins.

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nankhatai recipe

Nankhatai recipe | How to make nankhatai

Traditional Indian eggless cookies that are made with wheat flour, besan (gram flour), sugar and ghee.
Pin Recipe Print Recipe

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings12
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

  • ¾ Cup wheat flour or all-purpose flour – 75 grams
  • ¼ Cup besan or gram flour – 25 grams
  • 1 tablespoon semolina suji (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder or 1 pinch baking soda
  • 3 green cardamoms powdered or ½ tsp powder
  • ½ Cup powdered sugar (65 grams)
  • ⅓ Cup ghee or soft butter (75 grams) (use only as needed)
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Instructions

Preparation for nankhatai

  • Preheat the oven at 180 C at least for 15 mins.
  • Prepare a tray with parchment paper.
  • Powder sugar along with cardamom seeds.
  • Sieve the flours, semolina, sugar and baking soda together. Set this aside.
  • You can also just mix up all of them together and skip sieving. Ensure the baking powder is mixed well.

How to make nankhatai

  • Pour ghee in parts and bring the flour together to make stiff dough.
  • Use ghee only as needed mixing. You may need a tsp more or less depending on the temperature.
  • Do not knead the dough.
  • Make 12 balls out of the dough.
  • Then slightly flatten and pierce with a fork lightly to make a design.
  • Bake exactly for 10 mins. Or until light golden and crisp.
  • The timing may vary depending on many factors.
  • Remove to a wire rack immediately.
  • Cool the nankhatai completely and store in an airtight jar. They keep good for 3 weeks.
  • Enjoy nankhatai as a snack with milk or tea.
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Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Nankhatai recipe | How to make nankhatai
Amount Per Serving
Calories 103 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 13mg4%
Sodium 2mg0%
Potassium 44mg1%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

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Nankhatai recipe originally published in Dec 2012. Republished in June 2019 with video.

Nankhatai Recipe (Indian cookies)
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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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Comments

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  2. Jyoti Joshi says

    December 16, 2020

    Hi
    I tried your recipe with maida,Suji and gram flor but my nankthai became too soft. Could you please tell me what I could have done wrong.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 17, 2020

      Hi Jyoti,
      They will be little soft when they come out of the oven. But will firm up after cooling. If not then you may have gone wrong with the quantity of ghee. Using more ghee will make them softer.

      Reply
  3. Rina says

    December 13, 2020

    5 stars
    Today, I made it 4rh time. I’ve doubled the portion today. Each time they came out superb. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
    Can I add cinnamon power? If so how much?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 14, 2020

      Hi Rina
      Glad to know they turned out good. I haven’t tried with cinnamon. Half teaspoon should be okay. Thank you

      Reply
  4. Samidha says

    November 9, 2020

    5 stars
    Easiest nankatai on the block… turned out very yummy too.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 9, 2020

      Glad to know Samidha

      Reply
  5. Devika Kulkarni says

    September 29, 2020

    Hi I really enjoy all your recipes and have made quite a few. I really appreciate the detail and information you give which has taught me a lot.
    My question is, what would happen if I roast the besan before? Would it get overcooked in the oven or would it be ok? I want to get that nutty roasted besan flavor in the cookie but don’t want it to burn.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 4, 2020

      Hi Devika
      Thank you so much! I haven’t tried it but it should work. Fresh milled chana dal flour (besan) gives that extremely nutty aroma. Hope this helps

      Reply
  6. Sandhya says

    September 7, 2020

    5 stars
    I made these in the cooker, but kept too long (20-22 mins) as they looked soft at 10 min/15 min marks, so burnt the bottoms a bit, but still tasted great.
    All 12 of them were gone by night!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 4, 2020

      Thanks Sandhya

      Reply
  7. Dhanashree says

    August 24, 2020

    5 stars
    Superb recipe, the best of all. I had to bake them for 20 mins. I used maida instead of wheat atta. Thanks for the posting.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 24, 2020

      Welcome Dhanashree
      Thanks for leaving a comment.
      šŸ™‚

      Reply
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  9. Sapna says

    August 16, 2020

    4 stars
    Hi Swati, it’s all good.
    When I let it cool down it was perfect.
    Cheers

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 16, 2020

      Hi Sapna
      Okay good

      Reply
  10. Sapna says

    August 16, 2020

    4 stars
    Hi Swati, your recipe tasted absolutely amazing.
    The only problem I had was it was not hard at all after I baked them, it was crumble.
    What went wrong?
    Thanks
    Sapna

    Reply
  11. Swastika Jain says

    July 7, 2020

    Trying this recipe for my mother in law .want to make it softer since she cannot eat hard things .
    Any suggestions .

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      July 7, 2020

      Yes just skip the leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda). They will turn out soft

      Reply
  12. vasu says

    June 13, 2020

    Hi Swasthi,
    I am new to baking and would like to know couple of things.
    1. Which rack should i keep the tray on or should it be moved while baking?
    2. Should I use with top and bottom heating rods on?

    Regards.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 14, 2020

      Hi Vasu
      Bake in the middle rack. If you have a large oven and want to bake 2 batches at one time, then you can use 2 trays and swap them half way for even baking. You can find more details in your manual.
      Use the option with both top and bottom heating.
      Hope this helps

      Reply
  13. Killol shah says

    June 8, 2020

    5 stars
    Tried your recipe .. they came out so good.

    Reply
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  15. Raji says

    June 2, 2020

    I tried this recipe twice and it becomes very hard but taste is good after baking using micro oven. I have programmed oven and select the option for cookies which goes for 6 mins. Any suggestion to reduce the hardness

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 4, 2020

      I haven’t tried this recipe in a oven like yours so not sure how to adjust the timing & temperature. May be you can reduce the baking time and check

      Reply
  16. Neha says

    June 1, 2020

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe… I have been trying many biscuits or cookies recipes. This one is the best. Thanks a ton for sharing.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 1, 2020

      Welcome Neha
      Glad to know! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Neha says

        June 15, 2020

        5 stars
        Is there any healthier version of this recipe…using olive oil instead of ghee/butter?

        Reply
        • swasthi says

          June 16, 2020

          Neha,
          I haven’t tried but a reader commented below she made them with oil and turned out good.

          Reply
  17. Nilima says

    June 1, 2020

    Can I add chocolate chips in this same recipe

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 1, 2020

      Yes you can

      Reply
      • Samira says

        September 8, 2020

        Hi. I used 2/3 cup for twice the amount of cookies. But the dough doesn’t bind. I had to add much more ghee than you suggested. How much ghee is actually needed for the recipe for 24 nankhatais?
        Thanks

        Reply
  18. Cp says

    May 30, 2020

    Why mine turn out to be dough inside and baked fine on top and bottom.. I kept 20 minutes. It is slightly brown on top and bottom but taste dough inside. 350 degrees for 20+ minutes moving to bottom rack and top rack.. baked 10 minutes in middle rack first? What do u think went wrong?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 31, 2020

      Don’t know where you went wrong. I think they had to bake a little longer

      Reply
  19. Sangeeta says

    May 30, 2020

    Your nanakhati recipe was superb everyone my house relished it thanks

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 31, 2020

      Welcome Sangeeta
      Glad to know!

      Reply
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  21. Rina says

    May 17, 2020

    5 stars
    I made it today and it turned out delicious. There was no mention of suji in the printed version of recipe so I did not add but even then it was so yum, melted in mouth. Thank you so much

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 18, 2020

      Welcome Rina,
      Glad to know! Thanks for the mention. I updated it.
      šŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Siddhi says

        August 30, 2020

        Can I reduce the amount of sugar or would it alter the texture??

        Reply
        • swasthi says

          August 30, 2020

          Not sure! Reducing little should be okay

          Reply
  22. Shruthi says

    May 15, 2020

    Biscuits became power i don’t know the reason, first time i am using oven, please let me know what went wrong

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 16, 2020

      Shruthi
      I think they got over baked. Reduce the bake time and recheck the temperature.

      Reply
  23. Gayattri says

    May 7, 2020

    5 stars
    Omg, I could have never believed that Nankhatai could taste sooo good with whole wheat flour as well. Rather, I loved it more than the maida one. Thank u so much for this simple and yummy recipe.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 8, 2020

      Hi Gayatri,
      You are welcome! So glad to know you loved them.
      Thank you

      Reply
  24. Dhaarna says

    May 5, 2020

    Hi Swasthi,

    I’ve followed Many of your recipes and even my husband these days (thanx to Lockdown), yours are simply the best we both found.

    I haven’t tried this one though as we don’t have an oven or microwave yet.
    I’ve 2 requests if possible – I’m a vegan,so it’d be great to see alternatives.. Thankfully I’ve perfect vegan ghee though.
    Also, wherever possible, the without oven version.

    Thanks,
    Best Regards

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 7, 2020

      Hi Dhaarna,
      Thank you so much! So glad to know!
      Yes I will update wherever possible. You can bake them in a cooker following the method I showed in this cooker cake recipe .
      Thanks again!
      šŸ™‚

      Reply
  25. Gayattri says

    May 3, 2020

    Hi, I’m yet to make this recipe but before that I had a quick question about the sugar. I have granulated sugar at home, would that work instead of powdered sugar. If yes, then should I use the same quantity of granulated sugar. Thanks so much

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 4, 2020

      Powder the sugar in a blender and measure half cup for the recipe.

      Reply
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