Orange Nankhatai - Indian Shortbread Cookie

 

This year has been one fine year. From the arrival of my little sunshine, having family and friends visiting all year round and getting to work on photography and food assignments - I feel totally blessed. To make sure I make most of the family time, the blogging has taken a small step back but I'm so excited about the coming year and what it holds.

I wanted to make sure I take a moment to thank you all for being there. Though the year has mostly been all good, your comments and mails have got a smile on my face on dullest of days. 

In spirit of the holiday season and a fabulous end to a new year (celebrating my daughter's birthday according the Hijri calendar) I wanted to share the only cookie I ate while in India on vacations. 

The most exciting part about the vacation would be waiting for my whole bunch of cousins and uncles coming to pick us at the airport followed by our rocky bumpy six hours road trip to the town. But before hitting the road, my uncle would stop the car at his favorite bakery in the city and fill his jute tote with nankhatai until it could hold no more. We would get to munch on some of it but most of it was kept carefully aside to be enjoyed over tea time, which was another weekly highlight of our vacation.

Nankhatai is an Indian shortbread cookie, generally referred to as biscuit as opposed to cookie as most cookies in India are. It is light, crispy and perfect with a cup of chai or coffee. Though special on it's own, the addition of orange zest adds just the right amount of citrus punch which is refreshing.

Orange Nankhatai
Makes:18-20

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup super fine semolina/suji
2 tbsp almond meal
1/2 cup ghee, cold
3/4 cup sugar
6 cardamom pods, skin removed and seeds powdered
4 tbsp yogurt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup pistachio, roughly grind
Zest of one orange

Method 

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, almond meal, semolina, baking soda and keep aside.

With your fingers rub the orange zest with the sugar till the sugar turns pale orange.

Whisk together ghee and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add yogurt and cardamom and mix.

Add  the flour mix in three batches to the wet ingredients. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Roll in 18 equal size balls. This cookies spread so if you like your cookies flatter like we do, you want to lightly flatten the balls before baking or just roll in ball for thicker version.

Press in a tsp of pistachio into each cookie before baking.

Bake for 30 minutes. They will be tiny bit soft at the centre but will crisp as they cool.

Let it cool completely and store in airtight container.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!