Nankhatai

A shortbread of three flours: refined, chickpea and semolina.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee).

Ingredients

200 g plain flour
60 g chickpea flour
40 g fine semolina
150 g ghee, soft
150 g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of salt
24 pistachio halves

Method

A SHORTBREAD OF THREE FLOURS: REFINED, CHICKPEA AND SEMOLINA. Its article names them exactly -- THE MAIN INGREDIENTS IN NANKHATAI ARE REFINED FLOUR, CHICKPEA FLOUR AND SEMOLINA -- and calls the result SHORTBREAD BISCUITS. Three flours in one biscuit is the whole character of it: the chickpea gives the savoury undertone and the colour, and the semolina gives the sandy break.
AND THERE IS NO EGG AND NO LIQUID IN IT AT ALL. Nothing in its ingredient list is wet except the fat. That is what makes the dough crumbly to handle and the biscuit short to eat, and it is why these crack across the top as they bake.
ITS NAME IS BREAD, TWICE OVER. The article takes nankhatai from Persian, from NAN MEANING 'BREAD' and a second element, and offers a competing reading from NAN and KOTAH, SHORT -- SO IT'S A BREAD WHICH IS TAKEN AS A SNACK FOR SETTLING THE 'FALSE' HUNGER. It also records the English spelling NUNCATIE.
BEAT THE GHEE AND SUGAR UNTIL IT IS PALE AND LIGHT. Five minutes. Caster sugar rather than granulated, or the biscuits come out gritty. This is the only air the dough will get.
SIFT THE THREE FLOURS AND THE SODA IN AND BRING IT TOGETHER WITH YOUR HANDS. It will look too dry and then come together. Do not add liquid to rescue it: press it and it will hold.
REST THE DOUGH HALF AN HOUR, THEN ROLL TWENTY-FOUR BALLS AND FLATTEN THEM SLIGHTLY. Press a pistachio half into each. Leave them well apart: they spread.
BAKE THEM AT 160C FOR EIGHTEEN MINUTES, AND DO NOT LET THEM BROWN. They should stay pale with a crack across the top. The crack is the sign the inside set after the outside, which is what you want.
LEAVE THEM ON THE TRAY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE MOVING THEM. Straight out of the oven they will fall apart in your fingers; five minutes later they are firm. Kept airtight they last a fortnight.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes