Desserts
194

Nan Khatai (Eggless Cookies)

Around this time of year (or any time of the year, for that matter), everyone is looking for cookie recipes. Here is a Nan Khatai (Indian Tea or Coffee biscuits) recipe that is so simple that you’ll want to whip up a batch right now! With no frills, no fancy ingredients and no eggs, even the kids can take part in this yummy baking experience!

Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus 15-20 mins dough resting time)
Bake Time: 22 – 25 minutes
Makes: approx 12 cookies

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter – 1 stick (1/2 cup, 4 oz) at room temperature
Powdered Sugar – 1/2 cup
Nutmeg Powder – 1/4 tsp
Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 1 cup
Baking Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1/8 tsp

Method:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F or 150 degress C.

1. In a mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar (little at a time) with the softened butter until mixture is light and creamy.
2. Add Nutmeg Powder and Cardamom Powder and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, sift All Purpose Flour with Baking Powder and Salt.
4. Combine Flour mixture (little at a time) with Butter Mixture to form a soft dough.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
6. Knead dough once again and divide into 12 equal portions.
7. Roll each portion into a smooth ball with no cracks and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax/parchment paper or lightly greased foil. Leave ample space between dough balls.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 22-25 minutes (keep a close eye – nan khatai should remain white).
8. Remove from oven and let the nan khatai cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before eating.
9. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

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194 thoughts on “Nan Khatai (Eggless Cookies)”

  1. Hi ..loved your site ..so many dishes already penned down here..
    Do visit to my blog for some real authentic recipes ..I know it is not as big as yours but your feedback will be valuable to me..

    Thanks
    Tanu

    Reply

  3. Hi Hetal n Anuja…..

    I’m a big fan of ur recipes
    I tried the Nan khatai n it turns out really good.
    I have a doubt…can I use Splenda instead of powdered sugar?
    If yes what is the proportion?

    Thanks n Prayers
    AnnRose

    Reply

  7. Hi
    someone above asked for salted cookie to have with tea..
    I have a recipe for JEERA COOKIES

    3 Parts Bisquick Powder
    1 Part maida
    1 part oil
    1 part milk
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1 tsp Jeera (cumin seeds)

    1. Mix everything well.
    2. preheat oven to 225 degrees.
    3. Roll the dough into small balls
    4. lightly grease the cookie sheet.
    5. place 2″ apart
    6. Bake for 1 hour.
    7. decrease heat to 175 degrees and heat for 1 more hour or till they are hard and done.
    4.

    Reply

  9. Hi hetal & Anuja

    i would love to try this recipe, but just wanted to ask if instead of powdered sugar can I use brown sugar????

    Reply

  11. Hi Hetal & Anuja

    I love nan khatais and can’t wait to try them! Please tell me is it ok to use icing sugar for this recipe? Will the outcome be the same?

    Thanks

    Tani

    Reply

  13. hi
    my name is shabnam…..today i tried nan katai…paneer butter…and nan..all 3 came out so good…now iam big fan of u both….

    Reply

  17. Hi
    I tried to make the nan khatais but it didnt turned out to be good. Actually the dough was not soft and may be I baked for less time.

    one question here they dont have powdered sugar so I used castor sugar (as u said that it needs corn starch) well is it ok to use icing sugar.

    thanks

    Reply

  19. Hello 🙂 I tried your recipe with whole wheat flour (durum of golden temple brand) and for the first time in all my baking tries to get a nankhatai which doesn’t fall flat, this one made my day with the perfect shape and taste 🙂 thank u so much for this recipe, I have been trying out recipes from your website and iam glad to say they have all been a success in my kitchen …….I still can’t believe I got a non-flat cookie, reading from the reply u wrote to one of the comments regarding cookies falling flat , I too haveto agree with u, sometimes it depends on climate, iam in Boston 🙂

    Reply

  23. dear hetel anuja,the nan khatai video was awsome.made the cookies ,turned out beautiful and very tasty as well .o you by any chance have a recipe for chikkoo burfi using dried chikkoo’s as we can not get fresh chikoo’s in newzealand.look forward to any new video’s you may put out in the coming months.regards kamla

    Reply

  25. Hello hetal and anuja!
    I have recently started watching ur vidoes and i love the way you guys make things simple and yummy!!Good going!
    I tried the alloo paratha recipe,and it turned gr8 but the nan khatai that i made today wasn’t as good,first of all how much is half a cup of butter in grams and secondly the nan khatai was hard near the bottom,though it was’t over baked.

    Reply

  29. hello iam maria from spain .i know its all about cooking,but can u tell me good home remodie beauty tip for whitening skin

    Reply

  31. hi hetal and anuja …

    i have two questions: can i use salted butter as unsalted butter is not available around here. secondly, can i powder sugar at home and add some cornflour for the texture required? if yes, kindly let me know how much.

    thanks
    Prisha 🙂

    Reply

  33. Hi guys!

    I love your recipes!! And you guys have helped me learn to enjoy cooking. I am a new entrant (is that a word) ;)!!

    I used the same amount of ingredients and everything, but used baking soda instead of baking powder. My cookies are harder than I expected them to be. Do you think switching the baking soda for baking powder might have made the difference?

    Reply

  35. I have found freely flowing , extra fine granulated sugar ( Brand name : Dixie ). Can I add corn flour to it and use this. If Yes, how much amount?

    Also , can you suggest names of powdered sugar that you use?

    Reply

  37. Hi Hetal Anuja…
    Thanks a lot for lovely recepies.. After delievering cute little baby boy, i am back again in eating some wonderful food… Had lots of restrictions in matter of food for last 6 months.. I use to check your website evry day waiting when will i get up and make some yummy food….
    Finally, i tried this recepie after a long break…
    Came out good.. tastes yummy..

    but mine took longer than one hour… in oven.. after evry half an hour i use to check it and it would remain doughy.. dont know y?
    so today tried 2nd time by keeping the dough in fridge.. yet took me around 1 and half hour… strange is’nt it…
    but no probs it came out good and tasted damn good for my mouth:)

    Reply

  39. Hello
    I tried the nan-khatai yesterday. I followed the quantities and used the same ingredient as you did but mine came out more like crackers. They are soft and crispy but they are spread out and thin. Please advise.
    Love you guys!
    Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hi Shalaka,
      Next time try storing the cookie dough in the refrigerator for a while before putting it in the oven. Sometimes the butter gets too soft and does not hold shape and just falls flat.
      Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  43. Hi,
    I tried these nan khatai today, and I made 12 of them,but my khatai did not spread out as yours did. What do you think the problem might have been?

    Reply

  47. Hi hetal&Anuja I love your show even my 9& 6 year old like it I tried your lot of recipes and my family love it thanks a lot

    Reply

    1. Hi Kavya,

      The butter is what makes Nan Khatai so soft and crumbly. You can always reduce it but the texture will not be the same.

      Reply

    1. Hi Vani,

      We actually tried a batch with salt and cumin powder but somehow the texture was very strange. It was almost too soft and just mushed when we bit into them. We’re sure there are recipes out there but we will have to tweak ours a bit before we put it out.

      Reply

  55. Tried this recipe it came out great but taste wise not like authentic nankhatai it taste more like cookie we get in American store more like butter cookies,anyways thanks a lot Hetal and Anuja for sharing such a wonderful recipe.

    Reply

  57. Hi beautiful ladies,

    Great recipe, Nankhatais came out great. I used to make this with suji….but have lost that recipe.

    I was wondering if (now that people are becoming more health concious) you could focus a little more on healthy versions of traditional recipes.

    For example: how about replacing refined flour with whole wheat or other more healthy flours. And also perhaps replacing refined sugar with date syrup or agave syrup…..

    Great job Hetal and Anuja!
    Thanks so much.
    Rani

    Reply

    1. Hi Rani,

      Those are great ideas! We’ve found that when we show healthy versions, people always ask us to show the authentic version as well. Maybe we’ll start taking some of our original recipes and re-doing them with healthy alternatives :).

      Reply

      1. Hetal,

        Thank you so much for your great idea can’t wait to see some the recipes with a healthier makeover.

        We have a doctor friend who tells us that, studies have linked cancer with refined flour(maida) and white sugar, to name the few.

        I would really appreciate your efforts in suggesting a healther substitute for such ingredients that are harful to our and our kids health in the long run.

        Thank you so much for your wonderful hard work.
        With love…Rani 🙂

        Reply

  59. Hi Hetal & anuja,

    Happy New Year!!!!!!

    I coudn’t find powder sugar, in store they said icing mixture is powder sugar is it true can i use icing mixture??????

    Thanks

    Reply

  61. Hi
    Anuja& Hetal,
    Thank’s for u r eggless cokies,
    But I have problma, I dont have this preheting ovan
    I have microoven ,can we make this nankatie in microovan ,how? and how much time we have to keep and in which condition (grill,micro,convenstion) Please help me for this “ovan” problam

    Reply

    1. Hi Rani,

      We’re sorry but we have only made this recipe in a regular oven, not a microwave. Maybe some of our viewers who don’t have ovens can answer this one.

      Reply

  63. Hi Anuja & Hetal,
    i always like your raceipies, i am looking for Khajur Burfi, can you please post the it for me or someone knows about it i am realy looking to make it this weekend, thanks

    Reply

  67. Hi u both

    I made the Nankhatai’s. It tastes so delicious. Thanks for the easy recipie. Gud even for the first timer.

    Do post some more of veg dishes (Thanks specially for doing a recpie without egg).

    Happy New Year.

    Reply
  69. Pingback: A Merry Mélange | madame scientist's not-so-mad musings

  71. Hi Hetal & Anuja
    Thanks for posting wonderful receipes they are superfast super easy to make,I tried so many receipes desserts,Appetizers,breads & many more i eagerly wait for the new receipes.
    I tried Nan Khatai as per instructions but didnt came out well yeap didnt hold shape like urs & it came out flat and it took more then 25min, I dont know whats wrong I rest the dough for 20 minutes it was still soft .

    Also can you show healthy version of eggless browines & eggless plain sponge cake.

    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Uma,

      Several people have had this problem. We are thinking it may have something to do with the climate. If you try it next time, try to rest the dough in the fridge. It may help.

      Reply

      1. Thanks for replying hetal next time I will rest the dough in fridge .

        Please can u show plain eggless sponge cake and egless healthy browines.

        Reply

    1. I just tried these, and while delicious, I felt I could faintly taste the baking powder…will try again, this time without baking powder. I agree with the other viewers that the dough turned out a lot more sticky than it showed in the video…but having it rest up in the refrigerator solved that problem.

      Reply

  79. Hi Hetal & Anuja
    Thanks for posting wonderful receipes they are superfast super easy to make,I tried so many receipes desserts,Appetizers,breads & many more i eagerly wait for the new receipes.
    I tried Nan Khatai as per instructions but didnt came out well yeap didnt hold shape like urs & it came out flat and it took more then 25min, I dont know whats wrong I rest the dough for 20 minutes it was still soft .

    Also can you show healthy version of eggless browines & eggless plain sponge cake.

    Thanks

    Reply

  81. hi hetal and anuja,

    thanks for the superb receipe.i tried it today and it did taste very gud.but it did not hold shape like urs,i did make small balls but it turned to be more flat.

    i felt the dough to be sticky and hence had to add little more maida to it and mine took more than 25 mins to get baked.it wasent as crispy as i thought.did not know what d problem was,i did follow the same proportion as urs

    Reply

    1. Hi Indhu,

      The dough is supposed to be very very soft so you shouldn’t add additional flour. That is what make them crispy and crumbly. The cooking time will vary depending on your oven. Maybe you can try to refrigerate the dough while its resting next time – that may help them hold shape.

      Reply

      1. Hi,
        I am making these cookies for my Girl Scout troop as we are learning about India. I had the same problem with the cookies not holding their shape. I used the exact ingredients and proportions, but my dough was very sticky. Almost impossible to roll balls. I let the dough rest for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Any suggestions?

        Reply

  83. Hey (beautiful) ladies, thanks a ton for the good work you do and the great image of India that you project. Much appreciated by us “phoren” Indians who so miss ‘usli’ home food and you make the process simple and hassle-free. Best wishes for the season and the New Year to you and your families from Downunder!

    Reply

    2. Hi Sneha,

      You can find it in most stores in the housewares section. Just saw one at TJ Maxx the other day for about $6 (a larger one than we have).

      Reply

  87. hi how are byou i love nan khatai i hope your turn good and merry christmas ot you and your family and your friend anuja is right that the final she about thing i love it part ok

    Reply

  89. Thanks for sharing this recipe!! I was going to make shortbread today, but I think I will make this as it is so similar 😀

    I will be using butter today, but I wonder if one can use margarine. I know it affects the taste and texture of shortbread, so I am assuming that it would be the same with these… Have you tried it with margarine?

    Thanks, and may you both have a wonderful 2011 🙂

    Reply

      1. Hi ,
        Do you remember what the difference was when you tried with shortening? Did it alter the texture? If not, I would like to give a try with shorrtening

        Reply

        1. We have not tried this particular recipe with ghee. Sometimes, because the moisture content in butter is different than ghee, the texture may come out different.

          Reply

  91. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    You both look great.

    Can I powder the regular sugar and use it in this recipe???? Otherwise I will have to buy a whole packet and its gonna be lying around…

    Please help

    Thank You

    Reply

    1. Hi Fatima,

      Store bought powdered sugar has added corn starch to will affect the texture of the nan khatai. Though regular sugar will work, the outcome might be slightly different. Powdered sugar has an awesome shelf life so you can keep it or we have so many other dessert recipes that require it you might want to consider :).

      Reply

      1. Thanks for the prompt reply hetal, I have added powdered sugar to my shopping list. I have never baked cookies so this will be my first try. will let u know the results.

        Wish u a merry christmas and a happy new year.

        Reply

        1. I have tried with powdered sugar n the texture is slightly diff. It won’t be as crumbly but definitely will taste good. I tried the other day when I ran out of powdered sugar n had to use the home ground sugar. So, no arm in tryingthi with homemade sugar. Just mak sugar u create butter n sugar well. It Is vey very Important or else ur cookies will be flat.
          Just some advise frm my exp. hope I helps.,,
          Btw, store bought powdered sugar is very inexp. I go It in in Dallas Walmart for some 96 cents for a 1lb box of CH brand 🙂

          Priya

          Reply

    1. Thanks Uma! You can find it in most stores in the housewares section. Just saw one at TJ Maxx the other day for about $6 (a larger one than we have).

      Reply

      3. hi

        i made nankhatai yesterday.It was just perfect. My husband loved it. I had to add little oil to it to make the dough soft. thanks for ur great recipe.

        Rifat

        Reply

  99. hi how are you nan khatai is good how long came stay out 14day hetal it right the taste good good jod ladies and i think it your first time ot make it i hope it turn out good good jod ladies yayayayayaayayayayayyayayyayayayaya

    Reply

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