Oats Nankhatai
- 20 min prep
- 80 min
- Bake
- Serves 10
- 245 kcal
- 4.5 g protein
Crumbly, cardamom-scented nankhatai made with oat flour, besan and a spoon of sooji, short with ghee. The bakery classic, made at home without maida.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (175 g) oat flour (or 2 cups rolled oats ground fine)
- ½ cup (45 g) besan (gram flour)
- 3 tbsp (35 g) fine sooji (semolina)
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1½ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- ½ cup (110 g) ghee, soft and spoonable, not melted
- 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) milk, only if needed
- 2 tbsp (16 g) chopped pistachios or almonds, to top
Method
- 1Beat the soft ghee and powdered sugar in a large bowl with a whisk or spatula for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale, light and creamy.
- 2Sift the oat flour, besan, sooji, cardamom, baking powder and salt over the bowl.
- 3Mix with your fingertips until it looks like damp sand, then press it together into a soft dough. If it will not hold when squeezed, add milk 1 tsp at a time. Do not knead.
- 4Wrap the dough and chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 170°C and line a tray with baking paper. In an OTG, use both rods and the middle rack.
- 5Pinch off 20 portions of about 22 g each. Roll each into a ball, flatten it slightly between your palms and set them 3 cm apart on the tray. Smooth any cracks at the edges with a fingertip.
- 6Press a few bits of pistachio into the top of each one, or make a shallow cross with a knife.
- 7Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the bases are light golden and small cracks appear on top. The tops should stay pale.
- 8Leave them on the tray for 10 minutes; they are fragile when hot. Move to a rack and cool completely before storing.
Notes from the Department
- Use ghee at soft room temperature. Melted ghee makes the nankhatai spread flat and greasy.
- Bake a test piece first. If it spreads too much, chill the rest of the dough for 15 more minutes.
- A pinch of nutmeg with the cardamom gives the classic bakery aroma.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 245 kcal
- Protein
- 4.5 g
- Carbohydrate
- 26 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugars
- 9.8 g
Why this works
Nankhatai is all about the short, sandy crumble that falls apart on the tongue. That texture comes from plenty of fat creamed with powdered sugar and a dough that is barely handled, so no gluten develops. Oat flour suits this well because it has no gluten to begin with. Besan adds the toasty, nutty flavour that marks a good nankhatai, and a little sooji gives a faint crunch.
These have never needed eggs, so nothing is lost by going eggless. They are simply a nankhatai built on oats instead of maida.
Swaps
Replace the ghee with soft unsalted butter for a more biscuit-like flavour, or with a firm plant butter or solid coconut oil for a vegan batch. Jaggery powder can stand in for sugar; the colour turns darker and the texture a little harder. Leave out the sooji and use 3 tbsp more oat flour if you have none.
Baking in an OTG
Nankhatai burn on the bottom before the tops colour. If your OTG runs hot, place the tray on the upper-middle rack or slide a second tray underneath. Rotate the tray after 10 minutes. The Department of Festive Boxes recommends a test batch of four before committing the rest.
Serving and storage
Serve with masala chai or pack into Diwali gift boxes. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks. They soften in humid weather; 5 minutes at 150°C crisps them again.
Questions people ask
- Why did my oats nankhatai spread and go flat?
- The ghee was too soft or melted, or the dough was not chilled. Chill the shaped pieces for 15 minutes and use ghee that is spoonable but not liquid.
- Can I make oats nankhatai without besan?
- Yes. Replace the besan with an equal weight of oat flour or atta. You will lose some of the nutty flavour, so roast the oat flour lightly in a dry pan before using.
- Can I use butter instead of ghee in nankhatai?
- Yes, soft unsalted butter works in the same amount. The flavour will be closer to a shortbread and slightly less traditional.
Inspired by Cook With Manali. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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