What is nankhatai?
Nankhatai (also written nan khatai or naan khatai) is a traditional Indian shortbread. It is made with flour, ghee or butter and sugar, often flavoured with elaichi, and baked until pale golden. The texture is soft and crumbly and it melts in the mouth.
The name comes from the Persian ‘nan’ (bread) and the Afghan ‘khatai’ (biscuit), and it has been a tea-time favourite in India for generations.
What are cookies?
In India, ‘cookies’ usually means a modern, buttery biscuit such as choco chip or almond cookies. They are typically richer, sweeter and often have add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts.
And what are biscuits?
In Indian English, ‘biscuit’ is the everyday word for a crisp baked snack, from glucose and jeera biscuits to nankhatai. In the UK, a biscuit is what Americans call a cookie. So all three words often point to the same family of baked snacks.
Which should you choose?
Pick nankhatai for a soft, ghee-rich, traditional taste. Choose choco chip or badam cookies for a richer, modern bite. Go for jeera or atta biscuits if you like something crisp and less sweet with your chai.