Nankhatai (; ; Hindustani: (Hindi) (Punjabi) / (Urdu); ; ) are shortbread biscuits originating in the Indian subcontinent, common in Northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Etymology The word nankhatai is derived from the Classical Persian , , composed of meaning 'bread' and meaning 'Cathayan'. The word has been borrowed into the Burmese language as (), in the Tamil language (in East Tamil Nadu) as (), and in the Sinhala language (in Sri Lanka) as ().
In Afghanistan and northeastern Iran, these biscuits are called in Persian (kulcha is a type of Afghan, Iranian and Indian bread similar to nān).
It is also a mispronunciation of – shortbread where naan means Bread, and kotah means short. So it's a bread which is taken as a snack for settling the 'false' hunger. To support this claim, in Urdu means mistake – shortcoming. kotah–nazar in Urdu /kotah–been in Persian means shortsighted, someone who doesn't anticipate complex or far fetched outcomes. So Nan-e-Kotahi became Nan-e-Khatai or simply Nan-Khatai as it is easier to say Khatai than Kothai.
Nankhatai was also spelt nuncatie in English.
History Nankhatai is believed to have originated in India in the 16th century, when Dutch and Indians were the important spice traders. The main ingredients in nankhatai are refined flour, chickpea flour and semolina. Some recipes do not use chickpea flour.
See also List of shortbread biscuits and cookies Polvorón
References