Friday 27 July 2018

Kesar-pista Naankhatai (Eggless Indian Shortbreads)

Hi friends!! This is going to be the shortest post in my history of blogging. Not because of lack of time, but because a batch of these beauties is in the oven and I need to go check on both...my cookies, as well as my toddler who is waiting patiently at the oven door for the cookies to come out. My kid is also a hardcore naankhatai lover (just like her mom)!! And I am sure you too will become one after trying these out....


Yield: 25-28 cookies of 2.5" each
Pre-prep: 1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/ 400°F;
2. Line your cookie-tray with parchment paper (don't grease).

Ingredients:
(My 1 cup = 240 ml)
115 gm Clarified butter/Desi ghee (1/2 Cup)
100 gm Caster Sugar (1/2 Cup)
1/2 teaspoon Saffron/ Kesar strands (OR, 1/4 tsp Kesar extract, if you don't have kesar)
60 gm Wholewheat pastry flour/ Sharbati   Atta (1/2 Cup)
60 gm All-purpose Flour/ Maida (1/2 Cup)
40 gm Cornstarch (1/4 Cup+1 Tablespoon)
20 gm Chickpea flour/Besan (1/4 Cup)
A pinch of salt (1/16 tsp)
1/8 Cup finely chopped pista to garnish

Method:
1. Sift together all the three flours, pinch of salt and cornstarch 2-3 times.
2. Heat the ghee till warm to touch, and add saffron to it (slightly crush the saffron between palms before adding to the warm ghee). Keep it aside till it comes to room temperature and then cool in refrigerator for half an hour. This process is essential to incorporate full flavor of saffron in the dough. However, if you are using kesar extract, skip this step and directly go to the next step.
3. Cream together chilled ghee and sugar till light and fluffy. (If using kesar extract, add it to the creamed ghee-sugar mixture at this step).
4.  Fold in the flour mixture into the ghee-sugar mixture with a spatula and just make the dough come together with your hands. Don't knead the dough, it cannot be kneaded. It will be like laddoo dough. Cover and let it rest in a cool place for 10-15 minutes.
5. Scoop out 1 Tablespoon dough, form its ball by rolling lightly and place on your cookie tray. The cookies fluff up so place the balls 2 inches apart. Put some finely chopped pistachios on top and press the balls down lightly to flatten them a bit.
6. Place your cookie sheet into the oven and bake at 200°C/ 400°F for 15-18 minutes.
7. Take the cookie tray out and touch the base of one cookie. If the base is solid to touch, take the tray out otherwise plop them in for 5 more minutes.
8. Take the tray out. Let the cookies remain on the tray till they are cool to touch.
You are done๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘. Store them in an airtight container lined with foil/ parchment paper. They keep good at room temperature for upto 15-20 days.

Enjoy them with your hot cup of tea or coffee....I prefer tea with them. So, I am off to steeping some tea for myself while my batch of naankhatais cools down....

Happy baking guys!!

2 comments:

  1. Mam, I am baking in microwave so what temperature should I use...plz suggest me

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Kalpana! Hope I m not late in replying. The temperature given above is for microwave convection oven. For OTG u have to reduce it to 180°C. Happy baking!

    ReplyDelete

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