Nan Khatai

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Hand mixer or wooden spoon
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small dry skillet
• •Two rimmed baking sheets
• •Parchment paper
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Cream the ghee and sugar

   Place the room-temperature ghee in a large bowl. It should be soft enough to hold a fingerprint but not melted or oily. Add the powdered sugar and beat with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes by hand or 2 minutes with a mixer. You're incorporating air here. The mixture should look almost white and hold soft peaks when you lift the spoon.

   Ghee that's too cold won't cream properly. Set it out 2 hours before baking, or warm the bowl briefly with hot water before adding the ghee.
2. 2

   Toast and sift the flours

   Place the chickpea flour in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until the raw, beany smell disappears and you detect a warm, nutty fragrance. The color will deepen slightly. Remove from heat immediately. Sift together the toasted chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cardamom, and nutmeg into a separate bowl. Breaking up any lumps now prevents streaky dough later.

   Toasting the chickpea flour removes its raw taste and deepens the cookie's flavor. Don't skip this step, even if the package claims the flour is pre-roasted.
3. 3

   Form the dough

   Add the flour mixture to the creamed ghee in three additions, folding gently with a spatula after each. The dough will seem dry at first. Keep folding. It will come together into a soft, slightly oily mass that holds its shape when pressed. Do not overwork it. The moment the flour disappears, stop mixing. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the flours to hydrate evenly.

4. 4

   Shape the cookies

   Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and roll between your palms into smooth balls. The warmth of your hands will help. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Flatten each ball gently with your palm to about half-inch thickness. The edges may crack slightly. This is correct.

   If the dough feels too soft to shape, refrigerate for 15 minutes. If it crumbles, your ghee was too cold. Let it warm slightly and try again.
5. 5

   Add the pistachios

   Press a single pistachio into the center of each cookie. Push firmly enough that the nut embeds but doesn't disappear entirely. The green against the pale dough will look beautiful after baking. Some traditional recipes use blanched almonds or cashew pieces. Use what you have, but pistachios are the classic choice for a reason.

6. 6

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies are done when the bottoms turn golden and the tops remain pale with just a hint of color at the edges. They will feel soft to the touch. This is correct. Nan Khatai firms as it cools. Overbaking produces dry, crumbly cookies that lack the proper melt-in-your-mouth quality. Trust the color of the bottom, not the texture of the top.

7. 7

   Cool completely

   Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 full minutes. They are extremely fragile when warm. After 10 minutes, transfer carefully to a wire rack using a thin spatula. They will crack if handled roughly. Cool completely before storing or serving. The texture improves after an hour of resting, as the crumb sets and the cardamom flavor deepens.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out Indian grocery stores for chickpea flour (labeled as besan or gram flour). The texture is finer than what you'll find in health food stores, and the price is often a fraction of boutique brands.
• •Grind your own cardamom from green pods for the most intense fragrance. Pre-ground cardamom loses its volatile oils within weeks of opening. You need about 8 to 10 pods for one teaspoon of ground cardamom.
• •Ghee brands vary wildly. Look for golden-colored ghee with a nutty aroma. Pale, odorless ghee will produce bland cookies. If you can't find quality ghee, make your own by simmering unsalted butter until the milk solids turn brown and the liquid runs clear.
• •These cookies belong in a traditional Diwali mithai box alongside barfi and ladoo. They also pair beautifully with masala chai or strong black coffee.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be shaped into balls, placed on parchment-lined sheets, and frozen for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks. They actually improve after 2 to 3 days as the flavors meld.
• •For gifting, layer cookies between sheets of parchment in decorative tins. They ship well due to their sturdy-yet-tender texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 19g)