This Indian Shortbread Just Melts in Your Mouth.
No one has ever said, “I think we have enough varieties of cookies, let’s stop.” Even with simple cookies like buttery shortbread; yes, it’s excellent on its own, but I won’t be mad if you add some chocolate chips and espresso powder. The Scottish kind may be crunchy and buttery, but Indian Nankhatai are cardamom-soaked shortbread cookies that give the phrase “melts in your mouth” a whole new meaning. You need it in your STAT life.
Shortcrust pastry, shortcrust pastry, shortcrust pastry, and all “shortbread” pastries are named this way due to their high fat content, resulting in a more crumbly product due to less gluten formation (as opposed to lean pastry, which is high-fat bread). containing gluten, such as baguette or pizza dough). In its simplest form, shortbread is made up of flour, fat and sugar. When the ratio is right, you’ll be rewarded with a tender, sweet snack that breaks down easily and melts into your taste buds in such a gentle way that you’ll want to listen to Jewel’s “I’m Sensitive.” ”
Nanhatai are made from the same elements, but the flour and butter components are unmistakably upgraded versions of all-purpose flour and butter chunks. These Indian treats use a flour combination: all-purpose, semolina (also called suji) and chickpeas (also called chickpea flour or besan). The butter used is ghee or ghee , butter that has had the milk solids removed. This is very important because water has no taste and it has an infamous association with wheat flour. Whenever they come together they start making gluten strands and this can result in a tougher product. Ghee has a concentrated buttery flavor and shortens the dough (let’s start using our new terms, shall we?). Compare this to chopstick butter , which is 18-20% water, and ghee wins by far. The combination of ultra-soft chickpea flour and semolina flour with sand and toasted ghee results in a cookie that barely sticks together long enough for you to put in your mouth. You will make one crunchy bite before the texture quickly changes; the next moment it melts and all the flavors and textures spread across your palate.
To make nankhatai, I used this recipe from Spices N Flavors, but there are many others with more information if you want to know more or are looking for an option – like this one , which allows you to use a pressure cooker. I have noticed that some recipes include baking powder and many do not. I’ve come across everything from a “pinch” of baking soda to one full teaspoon of baking powder with ½ teaspoon of baking soda. I tried a batch with a pinch of baking soda and one without. Both recipes were successful: the batch of baking soda puffed up a little more, as expected, but tasted the same. They both had traditional cracks on the outside.
I followed the recipe by combining the dry ingredients, and since I didn’t have any ghee, I cooked it myself on the stove (you can use the microwave if you like). I chilled it in the fridge until it became cloudy but not hard. I added the ghee to the dry mixture and stirred until the butter was completely combined, but the mixture was still crumbly. At this point, I recommend using your hand. Just start mixing the sections and moving them around to pick up all the dry pieces until they are one big mass. The recipe was accurate, including chilling in the fridge and baking time. It is recommended to place an additional baking sheet on the rack below the one on which your cookies are placed. I did this because sometimes my gas oven can over brown my cookies and I’m glad I did because they were absolutely perfect.
If you love cookies in general, then this recipe is worth a try. Don’t let ghee stop you – it’s available at most major grocery stores , but it’s also easy to make . Chickpea and semolina flours are also readily available and affordable. (I used Bob’s Red Mill .) It’s also egg-free, and if you don’t like cardamom, keep it or trade it in for the same amount of cinnamon. Your home will smell equally divine no matter which spice you choose.