Nankhatai

Nankhatai is an Indian version of a shortbread cookie. Very tasty and delicious and a super hit among kids. It contains ghee and is high in calories neverthless one can treat oneself on special occasions. Today is such an ocassion. Kitchen tales is celebrating the birthday of a very special person Mrs Usha Bhat, an expert cook and an admin of a very successful food group that we are a part of. A wonderful person with amazing qualities like patience, always full of love, always smiling and a true leader.She gave us a platform to exhibhit our cullinary skills which otherwise would have never come up. This opportunity that she gave me polished my culinary skills, I ventured into food photography, i discovered my passion for cooking and made some wonderful friends for life. She has always encouraged me,criticised my flaws and motivated me throughout. She gave me the courage and brought out the blogger in me. Kitchen tales and me express our gratitude to Ushakka and wish her a "Very Happy Birthday And always the Best In Her Life" This one specially for you :)

Normally nankhatai is made with maida. But here I have given a healthy twist by adding wheat flour and unbleached all purpose flour.

Ingredients:

Servings : 12 medium nankhatais

Wheat flour - 3/4th cup

Unbleached all purpose flour - 1/2 cup (you can use maida)

Sugar - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp

Ghee melted - 1/4 to 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 2 small

Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

salt - a pinch

Pistachios or any other nut for garnish - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Take a bowl, add the wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well and keep aside.
• Take sugar and cardamoms in a mixer and fine powder it.
• Add this to the flour mixture and mix well.
• In the same mixer, powder the pistachios to a coarse powder and keep aside.
• Add melted ghee little by little to the flour mixture and knead well into a smooth dough.
• My dough was ready with 1/4 cup of ghee.

• Preheat oven at 190 deg for 10 mins.
• Pinch out small portions of the flour and make small lemon sized balls.
• Flatten them slightly.
• Place them on a greased baking tray.
• Leave sufficient gap between them because they will increase in size once baked.
• If they are kept close to each other then the baking will not be uniform.
• Take a knife and make a criss-cross pattern in the centre of the cookie.
• Fill it with a pinch of the pistachio/nut powder.

• Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 12 - 15 minutes.
• The cookies are done once they get a golden brown colour on both sides.
• Mine were done in exactly 15 mins.
• Once they are done, transfer them on a wire rack and allow to cool.
• Store these Nankhatais in air tight containers.

Note:

• These bake quickly so keep checking often after 10 mins to avoid burning.
• The quantity sugar can be increased up to a maximum of 1/2 cup depending on your taste.
• You can alter the quantity of ghee too but not more than 1/2 cup else the batter will be soggy.