Nankhatai

As a child, nankhatai was my first introduction to homemade cookies. Mom used to make them often and me, without caring about the calories, would simply gobble them up. However, as I grew up, the calories consumed then starting showing up on my waistline. Nankhatais became non-existent in the household. Time passed by and while I got busy with other stuff, I almost forgot about this simple Indian cookie until recently when I came across a few blog posts posting its recipes. My husband is not a big fan of baked goodies but I decided to make them anyway, if not for anyone else but for myself.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup semolina (sooji)

1/2 cup gram flour (besan)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup ghee (or as much required for kneading the dough)

Cardamom and pistachio crushed

Directions

Mix together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour the ghee. Make a soft crumbly dough with just enough ghee to put it all together. Cover the dough in a cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Prepare a baking sheet and make small balls. Slightly flatten the balls with your palm and make an indentation in the center. Put some crushed elaichi and pistachio and arrange it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the dough. Keep the baking tray again in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while pre-heating the oven at 175 degree celsius. Bake the nankhatais for 12-15 minutes and cool on a wire rack before transferring to air tight containers.