Thandai flavored Nankhatai
Indian shortbread Cookies
"Bahna ne bhai ki kalai se pyaar bandha hai, pyaar ke do taar se sansaar bandha hai"
(A very famous hindi song)
Wishing you all a very happy and blessed Rakshabandhan!!
What is Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi
Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that celebrates the love and bond of relationship between brothers and sisters. It is a day when siblings pray for each others' well being and wish for each others' happiness and goodwill.
This symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her. This thread, which emulates the sisterly love and sublime sentiments, is rightfully called the ‘Rakhi’. It means 'a bond of protection'.
The bond of a brother and sister is eternal.
The endless fights, pulling each others hair, complaints, pillow fights, remote fights, window-seat fights, who got maggi more wali fights, and what not, who doesn't remember those? But also standing by each other like solid rock wala bond, mera bhai dekh lega wala bond, meri bahan toh kar hi degi wala bond, getting a scolding for your sibling wala bond- Rakhi or Rakshabandhan celebrates that love and bond of the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is a day when siblings pray for each others' well being and wish for each others' happiness and goodwill.
Though I hardly get a chance to visit my brothers during Rakhi time as I live in Dubai and they in India, but distance never lessens our love for each other.
But I always make something special to relive our childhood memories. And this time I have made these delicious and melt-in-the-mouth Nankhatais, which are my brothers' and mine favorite.
Nankhatai are shortbread cookies/biscuits, originating from the Indian subcontinent.The word Nankhatai is derived from Persian word Naan meaning bread and "Khatai" from an Afghan word meaning Biscuits.
Nankhatai is a very popular tea time sweet in India. These are also known as Indian Cookies. Kids and elders equally like eating these delicious Nankhatais. The Nankhatai or the Indian version of Shortbread cookies are khasta (flaky) and crunchy from the outside and super soft and melt-in-the-mouth from the center.
The word is pure nostalgia for me. It took me to my childhood, somewhere in the narrow by-lanes of Chandni Chowk in old Delhi. Back in those days these were sold on small carts or Thelas. There used to be a makeshift tandoor or oven on the cart and lots and lots of big tawas or griddles used to be there. Very meticulously the shopkeeper or the thelewala bhaiya used to put the tawa adorned with uncooked nankhatais in the tandoor. He used to put stacks of tawas in the tandoor and within minutes the fresh aroma used to fill the air. As a kid I used to see this process with great excitement and enthusiasm.
Fast forward to today, while making these cute little beauties I was transported to my childhood. The air in my home is filled with the freshly-baked aroma of Nankhatais and my childhood memories!!
I think you will agree with with me on this one thing- No matter how many fancy meals you eat, the real satisfaction and contentment of eating comes either from the food cooked by your Mom or the food which takes you down memory lanes. And these Nankhatais are the perfect example for that. Right now, my mouth is filled with these delicious scrumptious Nankhatais and my heart is filled with golden memories!!
Though I often make them, this time thought of giving them a new flavor and that too my favorite, Thandai. And they came out absolutely delicious and flavorful!! I have added Thandai powder and Thandai essence to the basic Nankhatai dough. I have used thandai essence from Fab flavors & essences.
Hope through this share of mine you will also relive your childhood memories. Heres the recipe:
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
1 cup- 250 ml
INGREDIENTS:
All purpose flour/ Maida- 2 cups
Gram flour/ Besan- 1 cup
Semolina/ Sooji- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1.5 cups
Clarified butter/ Ghee- 1 cup
Green cardamom powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Thandai powder- 2 tablespoon
Thandai essence- 1/4th teaspoon
Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
To Garnish-
Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon
Crushed Pistachios- 1 teaspoon
Crushed Almonds- 1 teaspoon
DIRECTIONS:
Put sugar and ghee in a big mixing bowl and whisk well. You can use stand mixer too.
Whisk till the ghee and sugar are fully incorporated and becomes creamy in texture.
In another bowl add refined flour, gram flour, semolina, cardamom powder, baking powder, Thandai powder and nutmeg powder.
Give this a good mix.
Add this flour mixture into the ghee mixture little by little.
Add in thandai essence too.
Knead to smooth dough.
It should be smooth enough to be rolled into cookies.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Now, pinch small lemon sized dough ball from the mixture and roll it in a round shape.
Flatten the dough ball into a cookie shape and place them on the tray.
Repeat the process until the entire mixture is utilized.
Make two small slits with the help of a knife in the shape of criss cross ‘+’ on the cookies.
Sprinkle some Cardamom powder, crushed almonds and crushed pistachios on the cookies.
Keep the prepared cookie trays in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180degree centigrade.
After that, keep the tray with chilled cookies inside the oven and set the oven to 180 degree centigrade for 15 minutes first. Check and continue baking until the cookies are cooked through and turn golden brown in color.
Take out the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool down completely.
They would be very fragile and delicate at this time so please don’t touch them and let them cool down completely.
Nan khatais are now ready.
Serve these delicious and mouth-watering nankhatai to your dear ones with steaming hot tea and coffee.
Recipe Card
Thandai flavored Nankhatai
Indian shortbread Cookies
Nankhatai are shortbread cookies/biscuits, originating from the Indian subcontinent. Basic Nankhatais are flavored with Thandai powder and essence to make them more flavorful and delicious.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
1 cup- 250 ml
INGREDIENTS:
All purpose flour/ Maida- 2 cups
Gram flour/ Besan- 1 cup
Semolina/ Sooji- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1.5 cups
Clarified butter/ Ghee- 1 cup
Green cardamom powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Thandai powder- 2 tablespoon
Thandai essence- 1/4th teaspoon
Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
To Garnish-
Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon
Crushed Pistachios- 1 teaspoon
Crushed Almonds- 1 teaspoon
DIRECTIONS:
Put sugar and ghee in a big mixing bowl and whisk well. You can use stand mixer too.
Whisk till the ghee and sugar are fully incorporated and becomes creamy in texture.
In another bowl add refined flour, gram flour, semolina, cardamom powder, baking powder, Thandai powder and nutmeg powder.
Give this a good mix.
Add this flour mixture into the ghee mixture little by little.
Add in thandai essence too.
Knead to smooth dough.
It should be smooth enough to be rolled into cookies.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Now, pinch small lemon sized dough ball from the mixture and roll it in a round shape.
Flatten the dough ball into a cookie shape and place them on the tray.
Repeat the process until the entire mixture is utilized.
Make two small slits with the help of a knife in the shape of criss cross ‘+’ on the cookies.
Sprinkle some Cardamom powder, crushed almonds and crushed pistachios on the cookies.
Keep the prepared cookie trays in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180degree centigrade.
After that, keep the tray with chilled cookies inside the oven and set the oven to 180 degree centigrade for 15 minutes first. Check and continue baking until the cookies are cooked through and turn golden brown in color.
Take out the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool down completely. They would be very fragile and delicate at this time so please don’t touch them and let them cool down completely.
Nan khatais are now ready.
Serve these delicious and mouth-watering nankhatai to your dear ones with steaming hot tea and coffee.