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Nan-e nokhodchi
نان نخودچی · Clover-shaped roasted chickpea-flour cookies with cardamom
No Nowruz tea tray in Tehran or Qazvin looks complete without a pile of tiny four-leafed nan-e nokhodchi, each topped with a sliver of pistachio. They are made from flour of roasted chickpeas, so they taste nutty and slightly savoury under the sugar, and they dissolve almost instantly on the tongue. Bakers make them by the thousand in March, but they are simple at home with a small clover cutter. The common mistake is using raw gram flour, which tastes beany and bitter; the flour must be from roasted chickpeas, or toasted first. Chef's tip: knead the dough longer than you think, 8–10 minutes, until it turns smooth and pale; that is what gives the melting texture.
- Total time
- 118 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: If your chickpea flour is not from roasted chickpeas, toast it in a dry pan over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty, then cool completely.
10 minStep 2: Mix the 10 ½ oz roasted chickpea flour, 5 ½ oz icing sugar and 2 tsp ground cardamom in a bowl. Add the 5 ½ oz ghee or clarified butter and 1 tbsp rosewater and rub together with your fingertips.
5 minStep 3: Knead on the worktop for 8–10 minutes, until the crumbs come together into a smooth, pale dough that holds a fingerprint without cracking. Wrap and chill for 1 hour.
70 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 300°F (275°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper. Roll the dough between two sheets of paper to 1.5 cm thick and stamp out small clover shapes; re-roll the scraps once.
10 minStep 5: Press a 2 tbsp slivered pistachios sliver into the centre of each and space them 2 cm apart on the trays.
5 minStep 6: Bake for 15–18 minutes, until they look dry but are still pale; they will be soft while hot.
18 minStep 7: Cool completely on the trays before moving them, or they crumble. Store in a tin for up to 3 weeks.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nan-e nokhodchi take?
- About 118 minutes in total: 100 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee or clarified butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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