MUMBAI BAKERY STYLE NAN KHATAI
(BAKED BISCUITS EGGLESS)
If there is a biscuit that’s authentically
and genuinely Indian then it’s the Nan Khatai.
Is it really of Indian origin?
Wikipedia says that, Nan khatai is
believed to have originated in Surat(Gujarat) in the 16th century, the time
when the Dutch and the Indians were the important spice traders. A Dutch couple
set up a bakery in Surat to meet the needs of local Dutch residents. When the
Dutch left India, they handed over the bakery to an Iranian.
Yet there is a version that says, that the
word Nan Khatai is derived from the Persian word Naan, which is a type of
flatbread and Khatai is an Afghan word and means biscuit. In fact, this biscuit
is also famous in Iran and Afghanistan, that could be the reason that we see
most Islamic bakeries make different assortments of these lovely baked
biscuits. Now, yet another version doing the rounds is that the Parsi Bakers
invented the Nan khatai.
It really doesn’t matter who invented
these beautiful delicacies but I’m glad they did it.
In the yesteryears, Nan Khatai’s were
baked in old style urn ovens using firewood.
Nan khatai is popular and available all
over India and every region has its twist to it.
My daughter who loves baking says that Nan
khatai cannot be classified as a cookie. It’s more like a biscuit. According to
her cookies are much buttery and melt in the mouth and the texture of Nan
khatai is like a biscuit.
The eggless version that we get in
Singapore during Hari Raya known as Sugee Cookies, have a high content of
vegetable shortening in it, which feels rich and soft but leaves a waxy coating
on the roof of your mouth.
The Nan khatai in India is not melt in the
mouth (Although we can make it in that texture too) but my biscuits come with a
crunch like the ones we get at The Mumbai Bakeries.
I personally love the home made ones as I
know exactly the ingredients that go into the making and nothing tastes as good
as homemade ones, so here’s a recipe if followed perfectly would result in
awesome Nan khatai biscuits.
Ingredients
All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 cup + Standby
(2 tablespoons)
Semolina (Rava/Suji) - 2 tablespoons
Caster Sugar - ½ cup
Unsalted Butter (or ghee) - ½ cup at room temperature
Baking Soda - ¼ teaspoon
A pinch of Salt
Cardamom Powder - ¼ teaspoon
Crushed Nuts - 1 tablespoons (Preferably
Almond and Pistachio finely chopped)
Method
In a big bowl, Sieve the All
purpose flour, semolina, baking soda and a pinch of salt.
In another Bowl take the melted butter, to
it add the caster sugar, Using a whisk or hand mixer blend until smooth and
frothy. Add in the cardamom powder and give it a good stir.
Add this mix to the Dry ingredients and
mix well and knead into a dough.
In case the dough looks very greasy, add
in the 2 tablespoons of flour that we kept as standby.
Knead well,
After this, divide dough into about 20
equal portions and make round shaped balls from it, press these between the
palms and place it over baking tray. Line your baking trays with a baking
sheet/parchment paper/aluminium foil and place the dough balls on it, allow
sufficient space between the biscuits, usually 1.5 to 2 inches as the biscuits
tend to expand in size during the baking. Top each one with a little bit of
finely chopped nuts and press gently with your finger.
The next step…….Baking, if this goes wrong
everything is wasted, so here I’m sharing some tips of how to bake the Nan
khatai
Baking♨
·
For
even baking, position the rack at the centre of the oven and bake one tray of
the biscuits at a time. If you want to bake two trays, space the racks, and
switch the racks from top to bottom halfway through the baking.
·
Always
Preheat the oven 10 to 15 minutes before baking the first batch.
·
Check
the oven temperature with an oven thermometer (if you have it or else you can
go by Visual judgement).
·
Once
pre-heated, bake your cookies for about 15-20 minutes @180 degrees centigrade
(350 degrees Fahrenheit)
·
Visual
judgement is the best when it comes to baking your biscuits, follow the
abovementioned time and check for the colour (light beige golden)
·
Using
a timer would be good. Most Ovens come with a recipe book or instruction
printed on it, which includes a range in baking time; check what’s the range
for your oven. If not follow the minimum time stated in the recipe. Example, my
recipe says, minimum time is 15 minutes.
·
Every
oven has different settings and it may take a little longer or shorter time
based on the oven you use.
Once Baked…..♨
Remove the baking tray from the oven and
transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack (or wire rack). The biscuits can’t be
eaten yet. Internally the heat is still cooking it. After about half an hour
you can indulge in these beautiful Nan khatai Biscuits. Store them in an
airtight container.
Enjoy these beauties with your tea/
coffee☕. I love dunking them into my tea☕. Sweet and Sinful Indulgence.
Tips
·
Just
follow the Recipe As-is
·
Ensure
that the butter in the recipe is soft but not completely melted
·
If
Caster sugar is not available, you can powder the coarse sugar in the dry
blender
·
If
you are using ghee instead of butter, it should have semi solid consistency. It
should not be completely melted or look like oil.