What are the Indian biscuits? Biscuits can be described as something that can be either hard or soft and generally have a sweet and savory flavor. So, let’s explore the famous Indian biscuit— nankhatai.
Nankhatai [Indian short-bread] is very popular during the festive season. In India, not all sweets are always associated with eggs. Indian Shortbread Cookie is a melt-in-the-mouth cardamom-scented cookie. These are authentic Indian Nankhatais that go perfectly well with a hot cup of milk, tea, or it might be coffee too. These cookies are one of the simplest eggless cookies.
These crispy biscuits might be called cookies, but believe me, they have an interesting history, and their origin provides them with a great deal of taste. It is believed to have been originated from the western state of Gujarat, particularly from the Surat region in the 16th century, and incorporated the influx of Dutch immigrants. The Dutches’ traditional recipe was to make it with egg yolk mixed with plain flour and topped with a choice of your favorite dried fruits.
However, there has been a mild variation to it, and one of the popular variations is eggless nankhatai. So, baking powder is added as an alternative to egg yolk, which helps achieve the same texture and crispiness. Well, it may not get the same flavor, but it is an excellent alternative too. Thus, When you bake this nankhatai, the heavenly aroma will spread all over your kitchen. It is pure bliss that leaves you delighted. And also a perfect to gift your loved ones on special occasions.
Nankhatai is easy to bake, and there are so many different ways to decorate them. There are only four ingredients that go into these biscuits, and it’s simple to make with just a hand mixer. The recipe, too, is straightforward and easy to make.
Directions For Making Nankhatai:
These cookies are very easy to make, but you always have to remember to take extra time to soften the butter and let the dough cool. It is important to chill the dough to prevent cookies from spreading while baking. Remember to set aside about 30 minutes to soften butter and about an hour to let the dough cool.
Once butter is softened, beat it with a mixer, add powdered sugar, then beat both kinds of butter and sugar until it turns lighter in color and fluffers up. Turn off the mixer to add the flour. Give a perfect mix to the flour with the help of a spatula, then take this bowl back to beat it in a mixer such that it becomes coarse. Now you need to get back to a spatula and mix the dough thoroughly. Turn the dough to give it a perfect shape. THEN BAKE IT TO THE PERFECTION! Chill in the refrigerator.
Varieties Of This Authentic Biscuit:
These biscuits can be shaped in any form— round, square, rectangle, or cut out with cookie cutters. Kids always like to add chocolate chunks, sprinkles, dried fruits, orange or lemon zest.
1. The Chocolate Chunked Nankhatai:
These cookies are dipped in chocolate because it creates a soft and crunchy texture combination. The inside of this cookie is super crunchy and has a coating of velvety chocolate.
2. Jam Garnished Nankhatai:
Some spice is added to give the cookies an extra zing. A mixture of besan (chickpea flour), all-purpose flour, and semolina as the base can be used. The nuts or the flavor of the jam can be chosen accordingly to your choice.
3. Dried Fruits Garnished On Nankhatai:
Thia Indian nankhatai delicious cookie is garnished with chopped dry fruits and cardamom powder which provide it with a heavenly taste.
4. Orange Or Lemon Zest Nankhatai:
Fresh lemon juice and OR orange zest can be used to create these adorable Nankhatai. Their old-fashioned flavor will remind you of your grandma’s kitchen!
Conclusion:
You can make ragi biscuits by using ragi flour instead of all-purpose flour. Semolina can also be added to make it a more healthy option as it has an origin from Gujarat, which is well known for its cultural heritage and rich tradition.
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