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Kulche khetayee
Cardamom pistachio shortbread
Afghan melt-in-the-mouth cardamom shortbread with ground pistachio
When guests come to an Afghan home over Nowruz or the days of Eid, they are poured green tea and offered a plate of kulche khetayee, crumbly round shortbreads that dissolve on the tongue. In Kabul the dough is made with clarified butter or oil, icing sugar and cardamom, and each biscuit is topped with a pinch of ground pistachio before baking very gently so they stay pale. The common mistake is baking too hot: the biscuits should be cream-coloured, not golden, or they lose their melting texture. Chef's tip: let them cool fully on the tray, because they are too fragile to move while warm.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 7 oz unsalted butter or gheesoft
- 4 oz icing sugarsifted
- 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 10 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 oz pistachiosfinely ground
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and line two baking trays.
5 minStep 2: Beat the 7 oz unsalted butter or ghee, 4 oz icing sugar and 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
5 minStep 3: Sift in the 10 oz plain flour and ½ tsp baking powder and mix just until a soft dough forms; stop as soon as it comes together, or the biscuits turn hard.
5 minStep 4: Roll into 20 walnut-sized balls, set them on the trays and flatten slightly. Press a pinch of 1 oz pistachios into the centre of each.
10 minStep 5: Bake for 20–25 minutes until set and only just coloured underneath, with no browning on top.
25 minStep 6: Leave to cool completely on the trays. Keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kulche khetayee take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter or ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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