Recipe of the week: nankhatai (cardamom shortbread)
Using ghee instead of butter enhances the irresistible flavour of these crumbly biscuits

These sweet, soft and crumbly biscuits are somewhat reminiscent of shortbread, says Farokh Talati. Traditionally, they don’t contain lemon zest, but I find that it imparts uplifting qualities. Go out of your way to make or find ghee for this recipe, as it really enhances that irresistible, biscuity flavour.
Makes 16
Ingredients
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- 100g ghee or unsalted butter
- 100g icing sugar (or caster sugar finely ground in a pestle and mortar)
- zest of ½ a lemon
- 1 tsp full-fat natural yoghurt
- 80g chickpea flour
- 40g plain flour
- 40g fine semolina
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- a pinch of cream of tartar
- a pinch of fine salt
- seeds of 8 cardamom pods, crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 16 shelled pistachios, or 8 almonds/cashews, cut in half
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a food processor, cream together the ghee or butter, sugar, zest and yoghurt until pale and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients (except the nuts) and gently combine with your fingertips until the mixture forms delicate crumbs. Try not to be too heavy-handed at this stage – a lighter touch will give a more delicate biscuit.
- Divide into 16 pieces and form each into a ball. Gently press so they’re slightly flatter than a ball, then place on the tray, a few centimetres apart.
- Push either a pistachio or a halved almond/cashew into the centre of each ball and bake for 30 mins until pale golden. Serve with an ice-cold glass of milk.
Taken from Parsi: From Persia to Bombay by Farokh Talati, published by Bloomsbury at £26. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £20.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Exurbs: America's biggest housing trend you haven't heard of
Under the Radar Northeastern exurbs were the nation's biggest housing markets in 2024
-
How to enjoy a coolcation in Sweden
The Week Recommends You won't break a sweat on Lake Asnen or underground at the Adventure Mine
-
Crossword: May 8, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Art review: "Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes From Art"
Feature At the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, through Aug. 17
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Taz Sarhane's mallard with pine nut sauce and boulangère potatoes
The Week Recommends Bold duck, crispy potatoes and silky pine-nut sauce come together in this earthy yet refined dish
-
Cambodian pork and rice recipe
The Week Recommends This street-food dish is traditionally eaten for breakfast, but makes a delicious dinner, too
-
One great cookbook: 'I Dream of Dinner (so you don't have to)'
The Week Recommends The endless ease and versatility of a painless dinner
-
Book reviews: 'America, América: A New History of the New World' and 'Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson'
Feature A historian tells a new story of the Americas and the forgotten story of a pioneering preacher