Nankhatai (Melt-in-the-Mouth Cardamom Shortbread)
نان خطائی
Nankhatai are the round, pale golden biscuits with cracked tops sold by weight in every Pakistani bakery. They're rich with ghee, fragrant with cardamom and so crumbly they dissolve on the tongue. A little gram flour and semolina give them their distinctive nutty flavour and sandy texture. They were once baked in neighbourhood ovens from dough people brought from home; today they're one of the easiest bakery treats to make in your own oven.
- ⏱ Total: 40 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Easy
- Serves 20
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Beat the soft ghee and powdered sugar together for 4–5 minutes until pale, light and fluffy.
Add the flour, gram flour, semolina, baking powder, cardamom and salt, and mix gently into a soft dough. Don't knead. Rest for 15 minutes.
Heat the oven to 170°C. Roll into walnut-sized balls, flatten slightly, place on a lined tray with space between, and press a pistachio into each.
Bake for 15–20 minutes until the tops crack and the bottoms are light golden. Cool completely on the tray; they're fragile while warm.
Serve with tea.
Kitchen notes
The ghee must be soft but not melted; melted ghee makes the biscuits spread flat.
Don't over-bake. Nankhatai should stay pale on top; they firm up as they cool.
Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
The bakery biscuit
Nankhatai are part of the long tradition of South Asian bakery biscuits, along with zeera biscuits and cake rusk. The name is often linked to Persian words for bread and for Cathay (khatai), a hint at old trade routes. Whatever its origin, it’s now a fixture of every bakery counter and every tea tray.
Short and crumbly
The texture comes from a high proportion of fat to flour and very little mixing. Beating ghee with sugar until fluffy traps air, while the gram flour and semolina add a nutty taste and a sandy crumb. Mixing gently and not kneading keeps them tender.
Outside South Asia
Ghee is sold in Asian shops and many supermarkets; unsalted butter is a fine substitute. Gram flour (chickpea flour) is widely available. The result is close to shortbread, with cardamom.
Serving
Serve with doodh patti or Kashmiri chai, or pack them in a tin as a gift. See our Pakistani tea party guide for a full spread.
Questions people ask
Ghee or butter?
Ghee gives the traditional flavour and the most melting texture. Butter works but makes them slightly firmer.
Can I bake them without an oven?
Yes. Place them on a plate in a heavy pot preheated on a ring of salt or a stand, cover and bake on low heat for about 25 minutes.
Why did mine not crack on top?
The dough was too wet or overworked. Mix gently, rest the dough, and don't add extra liquid.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 110
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
