Celebrating the history of ‘Nankhatai,’ the centuries-old Indian tea cookie

he word ‘Nankhatai’ immediately pops up the image of a puffedup, crumbly, sweet, and salty delicious biscuit that many of us have grown up eating. However, mesmerized by the world of Oreo and McVities, many, including us had lost touch with these native tea time biscuits.

For us, it took a recent conversation and event with the popular and brilliant, Chef Anahita Dhondy, to bring back those sweet, melt-in-mouth memories of nankhatai. During her book signing event, the famed Parsi chef taught us a simple yet delicious Nankhatai recipe and also spoke about its interesting history.

This little encounter not only piqued our interest in trying this recipe ourselves but also made us curious to delve into the enriching past of this famous ‘biskoot’ that Indians had enjoyed for generations.

So, in our attempt to pay an ode to the legacy of the master chefs who created this tea snack, we share with you the chronicles of Nankhatai, one of the earliest known cookies baked in our country.

THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM ‘NANKHATAI’

Nankhatai, or what the British called ‘nuncitae,’ is made up of two words- ‘nan’ and ‘khatai.’ While the Persian word ‘nan’ refers to a flatbread that we all indulge in hungrily with dal makhani, ‘khatai’ is an Afghan word meaning biscuit.

In short, based on its name, we can say that nankhatai is a biscuit made of flatbread. It is also known as ‘kulcha-ekhataye’ in Afghanistan and Iran. Some people also believe that the term ‘Nankhatai’ has a Chinese connection. For centuries, ammonium carbonate was used as a raising agent in China and other countries to make cookies and steamed buns. Hence, it is opined that the term ‘khatai’ is derived from the word ‘Cathay,’ the previous name of China.

THE HISTORY OF NANKHATAI

Today, you may find nankhatai packed in aesthetically pleasing boxes in opulent bakeries, but it originated in the 1600s in a modest Dutch bakery in the city of Surat, Gujarat. In the 16th century, Surat was a thriving trading centre where merchants and traders from all around the globe came to do business. One of its global partners in India was the Dutch.

To try their fortunes, a large number of Dutch people settled in the bustling port city of Surat. Among them was an anonymous Dutch couple who took the first steps toward what became known as the ‘Nankhatai.’

The pair founded a bakery and began selling bread and other confectionery items, primarily targeting their Dutch brethren. However, as the Dutch began to leave the nation, the Dutch couple sold their bakery to a Parsi employee, Faramji Pestonji Dotivala, who continued to bake bread for the locals. Unfortunately, he was unable to attract this segment of the population since the bread was made with toddy and eggs, both of which were immensely unpopular among the natives.

To save his bakery and recover his mounting losses, Dotivala significantly lowered the prices of his unsold dried bread and gained traction among the local poor, who often dunked the dried bread in tea before eating it.

A savvy businessman as he was, Dotivala sensed a lucrative business opportunity and began drying the bread before selling it. This was known as the ‘Irani biscuit.’ After much experimentation, he later introduced cookie-shaped eggless biscuits and named them nankhatai.

It didn’t take long for the Indian biscuit to reach Mumbai’s markets, where Gujaratis and Parsis instantly welcomed the snack, and soon it became a must-have during tea time. Since then, these biscuits have become popular as a teatime snack in many countries.

Although we have been lucky enough to have tasted and relished Nankhatai several times in our lives, the likelihood that future generations will also get to do the same looks slim. In a world dominated by heavy marketing campaigns and big conglomerates, our Indian Nankhatai might perish unless we all work together to preserve and promote this simple delicacy by sharing its recipes and cooking it with friends and family.

So, what are you waiting for? Get some ghee, flour, and all the other necessary ingredients and begin baking this great Indian cookie!