Cardamom Shortbread

South Asian · 40 min · Easy · 20 cookies

Cardamom Shortbread

Be the first to rate this recipe

Flames are how much people loved it, not how spicy it is.

Indian cardamom shortbread, sandy and crumbling from chickpea flour and semolina, split across the top and studded with pistachio.

~150 cal per serving. Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Cream the butter and sugar

    Beat the softened vegan butter with the powdered sugar and the crushed cardamom seeds until pale and light.

  2. 2

    Make the dough

    Work in the chickpea flour, semolina, all-purpose flour and baking soda until it comes together as a soft dough. Add no liquid at all. It looks impossibly dry for a minute and then comes together under the pressure of your hands.

  3. 3

    Shape

    Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Roll the dough into balls, one per serving, onto a lined baking tray, flatten each slightly, and press chopped pistachios into the top.

  4. 4

    Bake low

    ⏱ 19 min

    Bake for 18–20 minutes, until pale gold underneath and split across the top. The cracks are the sign they are done: a nankhatai that has browned has been baked too hot.

Notes

Bake these low and slow. Too hot and they color before the chickpea flour has cooked, which leaves a raw, faintly bitter taste. Grinding the cardamom seeds yourself is worth it here; pre-ground loses most of its perfume within weeks.

Cooking this later?Save to Pinterest