The smell of these cookies—naan katai—is a childhood scent, as I remember when I was very young, a family friend used to make these sweets for the temple. They're very similar to Scottish shortbread cookies; in fact, my Scottish in-laws love this Indian version .
Aunty Heena—in Indian culture, all grown-ups are called "aunty" or "uncle"—made the most delicious naan katai I've ever tasted. Naan katai are traditional sweet biscuits, very similar to Scottish shortbread. They're quick to make and look beautiful when decorated with an almond or cashew. They're perfect for cold days when accompanied by a steaming cup of tea!
Ingredients:
• 300 gr. of flour
• 200 g of sugar
• 100 gr. of semolina
• Half a teaspoon of powdered cardamom
• A teaspoon of baking powder
• 150-200 ml of olive oil
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
1. Mix the flour, sugar, semolina, cardamom, and yeast in a bowl and gradually add the oil, stirring constantly. Make sure to mix all the ingredients well until you have a smooth dough.
2. Continue adding oil until you can form a ball that fits in the palm of your hand.
3. Make smaller balls of dough and shape them into cookies.
4. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
5. Place the dough balls on a baking tray and lower the oven temperature to 150 degrees before putting them in.
6. Cooking time is approximately 20 minutes.
Aunty Heena advised me to check the crackers every 6 minutes to make sure they don't burn, because they burn in no time.
After 20 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven; you'll notice some have holes in them. They're ready! Let them cool and enjoy them with your favorite tea.
Next post
Updated on 30 January 2015
