Flavored with rose, pistachio and saffron-cardamom, these Nankhatais are a simple, yet elegant dessert for this upcoming festive season! These beautiful cookies with three different flavors are a memorable twist on traditional sweets that your family is sure to love for Diwali!
With our annual Diwali season approaching, I’m always looking for something new to serve my family and friends. These little Dutch and Indian inspired cookies called nankhatais are the perfect way to bring a burst of flavor to your celebrations.
They’re typically made with chickpea and all purpose flour, with aromatics like saffron and cardamom. I’ve taken a little different approach by adding some fun colors and flavors like a floral rose and pastel green. Enjoy these little bites of heaven this festive season to put a smile on your friends and family’s faces!
HOW TO MAKE ROSE PISTACHIO SAFFRON NANKHATAIS:
- Mix Ghee & Sugar! In a large mixing bowl, mix together the room temperature ghee (make sure it is solid and not melted), and icing sugar till it’s creamy and fluffy. Make sure that you beat the mixture till it changes color to light yellow and becomes fluffy. This is really important for making perfect nankhatais.
- Make the Dough! Now, add in wheat flour, all purpose flour, besan, semolina, baking powder and salt using a sieve. Mix everything gently with light hands till it forms a dough. I did not use any milk, but if your dough is not coming together, you can use little milk, starting with 1 tsp.Don’t over mix the dough, otherwise it will become too soft. If that happens, you can keep it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm it up a little.
- Add Flavor! Divide the dough into three equal parts, one for each flavor – rose, pistachio and saffron-cardamom. Now, add the ingredients of each flavor to its separate dough.
- Shape the Dough! Shape the dough for each flavor into 10-12 balls that are of equal size, using a weighing scale to ensure that they are of the same weight. Flatten them slightly and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake! Preheat the oven at 350°F / 175°C and bake the nankhatais for 12-15 minutes (it may vary depending on your oven) till the base turns slightly brown. They may seem little wet from the top, but will become crunchy as they cool down. Don’t over bake them or they will turn hard.
- Cool! Once done, let the nankhatais cool for 5 minutes on the tray. They will firm up as they cool. Then move them to a wire rack till they are completely cool.
- Enjoy! Your nankhatais in 3 different flavors are ready!
These Nankhatais in three different flavors (rose, pistachio and saffron-cardamom) are a simple, yet elegant dessert for this upcoming festive season! These beautiful cookies are a memorable twist on traditional sweets that your family is sure to love for Diwali!
- 1/2 cup ghee , 60 grams in semi-solid form (not melted)
- 6 tbsp powdered sugar or confectioners (icing) sugar , 60 grams
- 1/3 cup wheat flour
- 5 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup besan (gram or chickpea flour)
- 1 tbsp semolina
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp rose essence
- 2 drops red food color , or as per your required color
- rose petals , for garnish
- 1 1/2 tbsp pistachio , coarsely ground
- 1/2 tsp pistachio essence
- 2 drops green food color , or as per your required color
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 12-15 strands saffron , soaked in 1/2 tsp warm milk
- 2 drops yellow food color , if needed
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In a large mixing bowl, mix together the room temperature ghee (make sure it is solid and not melted), and icing sugar till it's creamy and fluffy. Make sure that you beat the mixture till it changes color to light yellow and becomes fluffy. This is really important for making perfect nankhatais.
-
Now, add in wheat flour, all purpose flour, besan, semolina, baking powder and salt using a sieve. Mix everything gently with light hands till it forms a dough. I did not use any milk, but if your dough is not coming together, you can use little milk, starting with 1 tsp at a time. Don't over mix the dough, otherwise it will become too soft. If that happens, you can keep it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm it up a little.
-
Divide the dough into three equal parts, one for each flavor - rose, pistachio and saffron-cardamom. Now, add the ingredients of each flavor to its separate dough.
-
Shape the dough for each flavor into 10-12 balls that are of equal size, using a weighing scale to ensure that they are of the same weight.
-
Flatten them slightly and place them on a lined baking sheet.
-
Preheat the oven at 350°F / 175°C and bake the nankhatais for 12-15 minutes (it may vary depending on your oven) till the base turns slightly brown. They may seem little wet from the top, but will become crunchy as they cool down. Don't over bake them or they will turn hard.
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Once done, let the nankhatais cool for 5 minutes on the tray. They will firm up as they cool. Then move them to a wire rack till they are completely cool.
-
Your nankhatais in 3 different flavors are ready!
- Make sure that you use a preheated oven otherwise the nankhatais will become flat.
- Don't over bake the nankhatais otherwise they will become hard. Take them out of the oven as soon as the base turns slightly brown.
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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Extremely beautiful presentation
Lovely recipe ♥
Thanks a lot!!
Half teaspoon salt makes it very salty. I made two batches and tasted later and it became very salty. Maybe 1/4 tsp would be sufficient..
Lovely presentation…quick n easy recipe
Thanks a lot!!❣️
Wonderful recipe 👌🏻
Thanks a lot!!❣️
Looks yummy and gud presentation . if oven not their how to be baked
Thanks! If you don’t want to use an oven, just take a heavy bottomed pan, add in 1 cup salt to it and then place a ring stand in it. Then put a plate on top of the stand and place the nankhatais on it. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 mins. Just the bottom will turn slightly brown and the top will not change color. The top will feel a bit wet, but will become crunchy as it cools down. If you over-bake then it will become hard.
Very nice recipe..the flavours turned out really good 😍
One question, can I make the dough ahead and keep in fridge for few days and then make Nan khatais
Thanks a lot. Glad that you liked. Have not tried freezing the dough, so not sure about it.
Want to try please tell your cup measurement
Hi Sneha, 1 cup is 250 gm
Could you please guide on the brand of the flavor/ essence for rose and pistachios that you used.
Hi Ruchi, I’m in Chicago so I used Viola brand which is easily available in Indian grocery stores here.