Nan Khatai Recipe - Eggless Shortbread Cookies

Nankhatai Recipe / How to make Nan Khatai? / Kids Recipes / Baking Recipes / Eggless biscuits / North Indian Biscuits/ Cookies/ Indian style eggless cookies / Butter Cookies / Desserts / Diwali Recipes/ Festive Recipes / Indian Shortbread Cookies / Bakery Style Nan Khatai Recipe / Eggless Recipes

Nan Khatai is an Indian style short bread cookie made with clarified butter, flour and chopped nuts. They are similar to butter biscuits but with just the addition of rava in it which makes it North Indian style cookie. It is very easy to make and is kind of starter baking recipe, you can try with your kids too. It can be served with a cup of tea during eve snack time. They are usually made during festive seasons in North Indian, especially during diwali. You can make a big batch and gift them to your friends and family!

Ingredients
½ cup	Maida / All-purpose flour
¼ cup	Sugar
¼ cup	Ghee (cold)
¼ tsp	Rava (fine sooji)
1 pinch	Baking soda
1 pinch	Salt
5 nos	Whole cashews
5 nos	Pistachios

Coarsely powder the cashews and pistachios and keep aside. Take a wide bowl, cream sugar, ghee, baking soda and rawa. If using regular granulated sugar cream for more time or until the sugar melts half way making a white fluffy paste. Now add maida and powdered nuts little by little and form a stiff dough with absolutely no water. Cover the dough and set aside for 30 minutes.

Make small balls and press them flat and line them in lightly greased baking sheet. Bake them at 375 F for 15 minutes in the middle rack.

Sometimes baking time varies depending on the pan used so its better to check after the first 12 minutes. If the sides turn light brown and the top slightly golden then that’s the indication its done. Switch off and cool completely. They may be very soft when taken out of the oven, do not try to remove at this time, for sure it would crumble. Let it cool for 15 minutes and then transfer to a air-tight container.

Notes

Do not use melted ghee, we need cold and softened.
This recipe yields 12 biscuits. (2″ diameter)
Here in US, granulated sugar seems slightly small when compared Indian variety. If the granules are too big then they need to be powdered
Add some saffron mixed in a tsp of warm milk to make it Kesar Nan Khatai.
Try with coarsely powdered almonds.
Add few drops of vanilla essence for flavor.
You can add powdered cardamom for added flavor.