July 20, 2007

WHOLE WHEATFLOUR NANKHATAI and a MEME


As I write this post,I am biting into a yummy nankhatai that I made yesterday.Years ago,when we were young kids(5-6 yrs old),my mother used to have a round oven with a glass top manufactured by Paramount and which came with a recipe book.The first thing that she made was Nankhatai.And I can never forget its melt in the mouth texture and taste.The taste of that nankhatai still lingers in my mind and recently it started enticing me even in my dreams!so much so I had to make the nankhatai instead of just dreaming about Mummy's nankhatai.But I did not have that particular recipe which used butter instead of ghee.So I had to search for an authentic recipe.Vaishali's recipe came to my rescue.I made a few modifications though,so here is the recipe:

Ingredients:1 cup all purpose flour

1 & 1/4cup wholewheat flour(chapathi atta in plain terms)

1 &1/2 tsp baking powder

12 tbsp ghee

1 cup sugar

Seeds from 12 pods of green cardamoms

Method:Grind the sugar along with the cardamom seeds in a food processor until very fine.

Mix the two flours,ground sugar and cardamoms and the baking powder.Mix well with a fork or a whisk so that the baking powder is distributed evenly.

Now add 5-6 tbsp of solidified ghee to the flour mix, and mix with your hand to form a mixture with the texture of fine breadcrumbs.

From this point on,add ghee by the tablespoon,judging how much would be needed to make a pliable soft dough that holds together.The dough should hold its shape and not look dry.

At this point,what I did is to shape small balls out of this,about 1 inch in diameter and arranged them on lined baking sheets,spaced atleast 2 inches apart.I also flattened them a little.Then while the oven was getting heated,I put them in the fridge for about 15 mins.I baked them directly from the fridge.By this time,they were cool enough to hold their shape well in the heat of the oven and yet puff up like buttons.

I baked them at 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4 for 20 mins until they were lightly browned at the edges.

My Notes:These tasted so yummy ,that by now I have gobbled up atleast 15 of these little beauties in a matter of two days!


Now for the Meme that Sunita tagged me for:

  • Mathematics as for so many if us, is not my best subjects.I was never good at it and infact,was quite ashamed of the fact as long as I was in school.Only when I was in class Tenth,I was lucky enough to get a very good teacher who gave me the confidence to try my hand at maths.But I never ventured into that after my High school finals.I chose to do what I was good at-Literature.
  • I was afraid of the dark until I was almost 17 yrs old.As a child I had a bad attack of measles and psychologically as well a physically took very very long to recover from it.I used to feel that there is a huge lion which is going to pounce upon me from behind whenever I went into the dark.A lot of self discipline finally helped me overcome it,but it wasn't until recently that I read that severe illness can cause these fears and phobias too.

  • I used aspire to be a writer some day.I remember there used to be broadcast a teleserial by famous Marathi actor and director Amol Palekar which had 3 sisters as the main characters.I used to identify myself a lot with the second of the three as I am also the second of three girls, and like that girl in the serial,loved reading.I used to dream that I would have a big library of books which I would read all my life.

  • I was not mentally prepared to marry until I was 25.I had always wanted to study and get a good job.I also wanted to stay back and look after my parents.But right then,my dear hubby stepped into my life and boy,has my life changed since December 2000!

  • I never had much confidence to do all those co-curricular activities when in school.My sisters were both quite good but for some reason,I preferred to hide my face behind books.

  • I used to hate regular study as a school girl(I know,not a good example at all for my little one, and wouldn't want to tell her until she finishes her education hee hee).So I would borrow lots of story books from our school library and hide them in my history and geography as well as science books.And read them slyly.

  • I am very independent by nature and do not like anybody telling me how to do things .I prefer to learn to do things on my own.I think that is the best way to learn.I learnt reading like that, and cooking too.I started baking on my own when I was in class ninth, about 13 yrs old.My parents also somehow treat me a little different from my sisters.The one thing I am proud of is that everyone in my family thinks that I am much stronger(mentally and emotionally) than anyone else.I have always been bugged by the fact that I was never good at maths and never got a good teacher to teach me the right way.But then,we all have our regrets and God gives us other powers to compensate for what we do not have.I believe I have proved myself amply by determining to learn things that I always wanted to do-cooking gourmet dishes, and most important,cake decoration.I cannot remember for how long I have had the desire to do an exquisitely iced cake.I have not reached that point yet but I am sure I will do it.And all this without any formal classes.I finally feel proud that even though I could not do better at maths,God has given me the ability to learn things on my own.
PS:sorry if I got too elaborate..:)


29 comments:

Padmaja said...

Vini I am going to try those yummy nankhatai this weekend, i don't have ghee right now or else i would have made them imme and btw, i love that amol palekar serial, it was Kachi dhoop right?
i used to love, dream and wait for that every week.
Yuu did bring back those wonderful childhood days!!

sunita said...

Vini, I think we'll get along very well...I can quite identify myself with you in many ways...maths,darkness,books,absolutely self taught cook and baker,independence,study and then marry...now which one did I leave out...I know, the extra curricular activities, because, unlike you, I simply adored them, sports,science exhibitions, elocution, debates,drama,compering, I did it all...

btw, the nankhatai looks really nice..its one of my favourites :)

FH said...

Vini,we call Benne Biscuits in K'taka.I make them too,out fav! Looks delicious.
Lover reading the MeMe.I am like you in the last paragraph!:D
Hope you are not afraid of the dark now:)

Laavanya said...

The nankhatais look great and I love that they are made of atta.
Nice reading your meme and knowing a bit more about you.

Vini K said...

Padmaja,oh yes that was Kachchi Dhoop..somehow forgot that name though not those characters:)

Sunita,I think so too what with all your baking he he he..glad you could do all those extra curricular activities!I really regret not doing them :)

Asha,you know,I do admire you because that streak of yours comes through your writing too:) and no,I am no more afraid of the dark:)


Laavanya,nice to see you here..Yes,I did hear the name Benne biscuits..:)

bha said...

It was nice knowing u Vini, and I am sure you gonna make your revered icing cake one day soon...nankhatais look wonderful

Coffee said...

Those nankhatais are worth picking up from the screen vini!! :)

Loved reading about you... nice meme. :)

Lata said...

The first time I made Nankatai for 3 years ago and it was a total disaster. I feel like trying this this evening itself, since it is so easy.

Thanks.

Richa said...

hey, nankhatai looks yum :)
yeah, i remember kacchi dhoop, i guess it was the breakout role for bhagyashree, right?

sra said...

Hi Vini, enjoyed reading your meme.

swapna susarla said...

Hi vini
nonkhatai looks yummy.i am going to make it right now.

Sharmi said...

the nankhatai uses 12tbsp of ghee, man that is too much of ghee though. is there any thing else I can use to reduce the ghee? may be lil water?
About the meme- I hate maths, afraid of dark, love literature and dont like anybody telling me how to do things!! so that makes a lil bit of the 2 of us.

bee said...

nankhatai with atta is a new (and healthier) one. enjoyed your meme.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the healthier version.Iam tempted to make them right now.Please tell me what should be the oven temparature?

Viji said...

The Nankhatai is looking great Vini. Nice to know about you more. Viji

Vini K said...

Anonymous,thanks for pointing that out..the temperature I used was 350 F/180c/Gas Mark 4.

Roopa said...

wow the nankatai looks yummy! nice reading your meme1, no wonder you are a very god baker :)

Chandrika said...

Vini, those nankhatais look so yummy and they are tempting me...But I am in a fix..I promised hubby dear that I would not bake or cook anything sweet for sometime..OH..what do I do...You r such a wicked girl!! :-)

And I loved your meme..We have a lot of things in common...

Vini K said...

Bhags,thanks dear,I eagerly await that day:)

Coffee,thansk so much!these are so addictive,we managed to finish this within 4 days flat!:)

Lata,do make them..very forgiving,these little beauties:)

Richa,you are right dear..launching pad for Bhagyashree..

Sra,Thanks dear:)

Swapna,do make them..you won;t be able to resist them:)

Sharmi,if you add water,these will become very soggy and tough.The ghee helps in making these light because ghee is pure fat without the water content.But once in a while these are ok,what do you say?:)..and anyway,the whole wheat flour(atta) makes it a bit more healthier than when using maida/all purpose refined flour...and I think we all have so many things in common which is why perhaps we all are friends here:)



Bee,thanks dear..

Viji,thanks dear:)

Roopa,thank you for the sweet words:)

Chandrika,tell you what...make just a few and keep them in a secret place and have it yourself for now, then maybe when your hubby gets a whiff of these,maybe he will relent just a little:)what say?:)hee hee..btw,my hubby too is now raising his eyebrows whenever I bake. blogging definitely has turned my palette very choosy:).we all seem to have some very common things,isn't it?perhaps that is why blogosphere has brought us all together:)

Anonymous said...

Hi Vini!you r meme is very intersting to read. I am in a hurry today and could not go through all the posts of yours but,as i scrolled down, I just loved the pics of your cakes.checker board cake was interesting and looks like you r an expert in decorating. I love heart shaped cakes for some reason .that cake was good too.just thought abt dropping my words.I'll add your blog to my blogroll tom.hope you don't mind
Madhavi

USHA said...

Hi Vinik ,

Your meme was interesting to know more about you....this nankhatai looks soft and delicious..thanks.

Poonam said...

This looks so doable! I had tried nankatais long time back but the recipe was completely different..this looks more interesting from the picture you have....will try sometime..

SeeC said...

Thanks for visiting my blog vini.
A Very interesting MEME. I appreciate your independent nature.

Lovely Nankhatai...feel like having one.

Sia said...

where is my comment??? :(
i really enjoyed reading ur meme vini.
i loved maths n would spend hrs solving problems:)
ditto with 2,6 n 7:) felt as if i am reading my own story:)

Vini K said...

Hi Madhavi,welcome here.sure you can add me,don;t mind at all:)I will do the same too:)

Usha,Thanks dear.Hope you are doing fine:)


Poonam,do try this,easy peasy:)


seec,thanks for dropping by:)

Sia,did you leave a comment earlier?I didn;t see one,I think blogger just gulped it down:)he he looks like we are all similar in some way or the other..glad to know so many like me:)I used to think I am one of a kind(in a negative way)but now it makes me see the positive side of being what I am:)

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Nankhatai look really yummy and seem pretty simple to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe and your meme.

Kanchana

Anonymous said...

Vini,

Thanks a TON for the Nankhatai recipe. And the reason why TONS of THANKS is: One thing that Gujjus living abroad miss is Nankhatai. And YOU gave recipe the way Gujjus love. You won't believe, as soon as I returned back home, I went to bazaar next day and bought a kilo nankhatai - not to mention that it was over at a lighting speed. Moreover, when Vinay(NJ) used to visit us in Maryland, he used to bring nankhatai for us from desi town.

workhard said...

Nice ones, perfectly done.

Haiku Poems

Isha (thetastyroom) said...

Hey Vinni! I dnt knw from where I landed here! Baking might be! You speak through me in ur meme ^_^ we almost have everything in common and its always nice to know dat people like me exist :P Nice Blog :)