Nankhatai recipe; Nankhatai is also known as Indian cookies or Indian shortbread cookies. These snowwhite eggless cookies are a popular tea time snack.  During my childhood, nancuts (as we used to call these cookies) was "the only homemade cookie" and a great-aunt always used to bring them for us kids during Christmas time.

This recipe has been in my family for years and you will be amazed at the simplicity with which it can be made. Back in the 60s and 70s Dalda/Crisco ruled the world India. Most cakes and cookies were made with shortening, moms loved to use them!

Lets talk a bit about making these snowwhite cookies; Nancut's are eggless and I dont remember them being made with butter or ghee, at least in my family that includes (grand moms, great- grandmoms, aunts and great-aunts). During Christmas, I have fond memories of the women folk in the family making these cookies and we kids also dive in to help; sugar was powdered in the ammikal (stone grinder) and as a kid I loved the part of rubbing the shortening into the flour....which finally would end in a flour storm and eventually would be shooed away.

It was only when I was in college, I came to know that nankhatai or nancuts were popular outside Kerala too. And after marriage this was the only "cookie" with which I could boast my baking skills, these are absolutely never fail and any newbie can make and get appreciated.

Shortenings creates magic when rubbed into flour and baked; and the magic is the softness on the outside and crunchiness on the inside of these cookies.

These would definitely be a vegetarian's delight and would be a perfect Christmas gift. I hope you will try these easy cookies nancuts!

Step by Step:
Yeild: About 30-35 cookies.

I used my food processor to make the mixing easier; you can also rub the shortening into the flour with your hands.
Add flour, sugar, and baking powder into the food processor. Add in the shortening (I used dalda).

Pulse for a minute. You can see that the flour resembles sand. Transfer to a large bowl. Take a handful of dough in your hand and press it nicely...

To make a round shape. Place it gently on parchment lined baking tray or on a silpat as I did. Repeat the same with the rest of the dough (see, I told you its easy!).

Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree C for 18 minutes or until done. The cookies  should look a bit undercooked in the center and will be slightly cracked. Allow it cool on the pan for 2 minutes. Once it is completely cooled down you can store in an airtight container or pack them as Christmas gifts for friends and relatives.

Nankhatai Recipe / How To Make Nankhatai / Eggless Indian Cookies

PREP TIME: 2 mins    |  COOK TIME: 18 mins    |  AUTHOR:: NISA HOMEY

   

  INGREDIENTS

• Powdered Sugar: 1 cup
• Dalda/Crisco/Veg Shortening: 1 cup
• Flour: 2 cups
• Baking Powder: 1 tsp

  METHOD:

1. Mix flour, powdered sugar and baking powder. Add dalda (shortening) into this.
2. Rub the shortening into the mixed flour with your fingertips till it resembles sand like texture.
3. You can also pulse everthing together in a food processor (which is what I do, always).
4. Take a handful of dough and press hard to make into a ball.
5. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or silpat.
6. Bake at 180 degree C for 18 minutes. The center will seem to be a bit undercooked; remove the tray from the oven and keep the cookies in it for 2 minutes.
7. Store in airtight containers when they are completely cool.

NOTES

• To make powdered sugar: Powder sugar and measure into a 200 ml cup.
• There is no vanilla essence in this recipe.
• The cookies should be a little undercooked in the center and it should not be allowed to brown on top as nankhatai should be white in color.
• Oven temperature varies with oven and make sure you preheat the oven.

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