Nan khatai (biscuits)
Nan khatai is a traditional Indian and Pakistani no egg biscuit or cookie. When I first tried them, they looked like chocolate biscuits due to over heating of oven. I got the exact formula after trying 2-3 times. These nan khatai vanish within no time. They just melt in the mouth.
Recipe of nan khatai/ biscuits
1 cup maida (all purpose flour/ refined flour)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp baking powder/ baking soda
4-5 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
½ tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
1. This is summer season so ghee remains in a semi- melted state. I took it as it is. In a bowl mix ghee and powdered sugar. Beat it well till it becomes lighter in color and fluffy.
2. Sieve together maida and baking powder and mix cardamom powder. Add ghee-sugar mixture to maida. Knead it into soft dough. Let it rest for a while.
3. Line a baking tray with cookie sheet. (I used aluminium foil as cookie sheet was not available and greased it with few drops of ghee.
4. Make small round balls from the dough and flatten them between your palms. Place these on a baking tray keeping a distance between them.
5. Preheat the oven at 170 degrees. Bake nan khatai at 170 degrees for 20 minutes or so. They will turn slightly brownish both from the upper side and at the bottom. Let them cool completely before digging your teeth in these scrumptious nankhatai.
Aloo naan
Naan itself is delicious bread and when you stuff it with aloo or gobi (cauliflower) mixture, its taste increases manifold. Be it aloo naan or plain naan, tastes best when served hot. With aloo naan, you don’t even need a side. You can enjoy it all by itself.
Recipe of aloo naan
Dough
3 cups maida (all purpose flour)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
Filling
3 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed
3 green chillies- chopped finely
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves
1. Take a bowl and mix flour, salt and baking powder in it. Make a well in the center.
2. Mix milk, sugar, 1 tbsp oil and baking powder in another bowl. Pour this mixture in the centre of bowl containing flour.
3. Knead it into soft dough adding warm water if needed..
4. Add 1 tablespoon oil and knead again. Keep it in a warm place for 2-3 hours.
5. Mix all the ingredients of the filling to make potato mixture.
6. Take a ball out of the dough and roll out on a floured surface into a 2 inch round dusting with dry flour.
7. Place a lemon sized potato filling in the center and gather the edges. Reshape into a ball. Again roll out into a disk. Similarly make other naan from rest of the dough.
8. Preheat oven and bake these aloo naan till they puff up and become golden brown with brown-black specks here and there. Grease them with butter and serve hot.
You can also make aloo naan in electric or gas tandoor which is a much faster way to cook naan.
aloo naan with butter
