Cardamom nankhatai
Crumbly Indian shortbread made with ghee, flour, besan and cardamom. Keep the tops pale and the bases just golden.
Based on Dassana Amit’s Dassana’s Veg Recipes of India recipe ↗
- Time
- 35 minutes + cooling
- Makes
- About 20 biscuits
- Oven, conventional
- 165°C / 330°F
Before you begin
Read the whole recipe, then get these ready.
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Mixing bowl
- Wire rack
Use semi-solid ghee, not hot melted ghee. A loose dough spreads; a cool, soft dough keeps the classic nankhatai shape.
Ingredients
Original recipe weights. Small quantities stay in measuring spoons; eggs stay as counts. 1 kg = 1,000 g.
Let’s bake
- 1
Heat the oven to 165°C (330°F) and line a tray.
- 2
Whisk ghee and powdered sugar until pale and creamy. Mix in the flour, besan, semolina, cardamom, baking powder and salt to make a soft dough.
- 3
Rest the dough for 15 minutes. Divide into 20 balls, flatten slightly and press a pistachio sliver into each one.
- 4
Bake for 15–18 minutes. The bases should be lightly golden while the tops stay pale.
- 5
Cool on the tray until firm, then move to a rack. They become more crumbly as they cool.
Your baking notes
Notes stay on this device.