Nankhatai (Indian Ghee Shortbread Cookies)

Nov 7, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Easy

Nankhatai (Indian Ghee Shortbread Cookies)

Nankhatai are domed Indian shortbread cookies made with ghee, plain flour, besan and semolina and scented with cardamom. They bake with a crackled top and melt into a sandy crumb in the mouth. Makes 18 cookies in about 1 hr 23 min.

Prep 20 min

Cook 18 min

Cooling 45 min

Total 1 hr 23 min

Yield 18 cookies

Ingredients

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3 ½ oz (100 g)ghee, soft but solid, at room temperature
¾ cup (90 g)powdered sugar
1 ¼ cups (150 g)all-purpose flour
¼ cup (30 g)besan (chickpea flour)
¾ oz (20 g)fine semolina (sooji)
½ tsp (2 g)baking powder, 1/2 tsp
½ tsp (1 g)ground green cardamom
1 pinchsalt
1 ½ tbsp (10 g)pistachios, finely chopped

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Instructions

Beat the ghee and powdered sugar with a whisk or hand mixer until pale, light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, besan, fine semolina, baking powder, ground green cardamom and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the ghee mixture and mix gently with your hand just until it comes together into a soft, smooth dough that holds when pressed. Do not knead. Cover and let rest 15 minutes so the semolina hydrates.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Divide the dough into 18 portions (about 21 g each), roll each into a smooth ball, flatten slightly to 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) and set 5 cm (2 inches) apart on the sheet. Press a few chopped pistachios onto each top.
Bake until the cookies have spread a little, the tops have cracked and the bottoms are light golden, 15 to 18 minutes. The tops should stay pale.
Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, as they are very fragile when hot, then move to a rack and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Tips

The ghee must be soft and spoonable but not melted, or the cookies spread flat.
If the dough cracks badly when shaped, add 1 to 2 tsp more ghee; if too soft to hold a ball, chill 10 minutes.
Bake one sheet at a time for even color.
Do not taste the raw dough; it contains raw flour.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make nankhatai (indian ghee shortbread cookies)?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking, plus 45 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 18 cookies.

How should I store nankhatai (indian ghee shortbread cookies)?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Can I make nankhatai (indian ghee shortbread cookies) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Serve it with masala chai.

Variations

Orange and cardamom: beat 1 tsp (2 g) finely grated orange zest into the ghee and sugar; bake time unchanged.
Toasted coconut: replace the semolina with 25 g (1/3 cup) desiccated coconut and press extra coconut on top instead of pistachios; bake 15 to 17 minutes (contains coconut).
Butter nankhatai: use 100 g (7 tbsp) softened unsalted butter instead of ghee; chill the shaped balls 15 minutes before baking.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 18 servings this recipe makes.

113 Calories / serving

5.9g Fat

13.6g Carbs

1.3g Protein

5.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (18 servings): ~2034 cal · 106g fat · 245g carbs · 23g protein · 90g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

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