Today I am going to share one of the traditional cookies from Persia, precisely from Iran – Nan-E Nokhodchi | Persian Chick Pea Cookie with Cardamom and Pistachios. Chickpeas are popular in Persian cooking and this cookie is prepared with roasted chickpea flour. You know what, this is a vegan and gluten-free cookie making it perfect for everyone. With the delicate flavors of cardamom and rose syrup and chickpeas, this is sure a table winner.
For the alphabet N, I was planning to prepare something with Nutella. But all the recipes fell under the US. So I was looking for other recipes. When I was food grazing in food gawker, I stumbled upon this recipe and when I realized it’s eggless, vegan and gluten-free I decided to prepare it right away. Later, when I read about this recipe, I learned that this is one among the traditional recipe that is prepared during the Persian new year, Norouz. :-)
Working with gluten-free flour is a little tricky in baking. Besan is part and parcel of Indian cooking but when it comes to baking, you need to be careful. Cookie cutter really helps in carving out the shapes and the cookies tend to crumble after baking. So while transferring the cookies from baking tray to container, please be careful. No water is required for this recipe. Vegetable oil plays a pivotal role in binding the flour. The dough needs to be rested for at least 1 hour. So plan ahead. :-) After tasting this cookie, we felt it’s like baked mysore pak. ;-) ;-)
Without any further ado, here is the recap from previous marathons and then the recipe. The printable recipe at the bottom.
- Day 14 | 2015 – Baked Falafel
- Day 14 | 2016 – Narthangai Oorukai
- Day 14 | 2017 – N | Nan-E Nokhodchi
Ingredients:
- Chick Pea Flour – 1 cup
- Powdered Sugar – ½ cup
- Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
- Vegetable Oil – ⅓ cup
- Rose Syrup – 2 tsps
- Pistachios – 10 to 15 (roughly chopped)
Prep – work:
- Sieve the chickpea flour and dry roast the chickpea flour for a minute in a pan without any oil and let it cool. If you have roasted chickpea flour, skip this step.
- Chop the pistachios and set aside.
- If required, powder the cardamom.
Steps:
- Combine all the ingredients oil, sugar, cardamom and rose syrup in a bowl.
- Mix them together and form a dough. I did not use a hand mixer; I just mixed it with my hand.
- Dust your work surface with some chickpea flour and knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is more workable. The dough is very crumbly.
- Wrap tightly in cling wrap and set aside for 1.5 hours. Do not refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 300 F and line baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a dusted work surface until it is ½ to ¾-inch thick. Cut out cookies using your favorite cookie cutter and place the cookies on the baking tray, spaced 1 inch apart.
- Repeat the above for the remaining dough.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top of the cookie.
- Bake these for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cookies turn a light golden color.
- Remove cookies from oven and let it cool on tray for a few minutes.
- Then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
- I used black chickpea flour, so my cookies are brown when compared to the original recipe.
- Adjust the sugar as per your preference.
- Rose syrup or rose essence or rose water can be used in this recipe.
- Be careful when you transfer the cookies as they crumble very easily.
📖 Recipe
Nan-E Nokhodchi | Persian Chick Pea Cookie with Cardamom and Pistachios
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chickpea Flour
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
- ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsps Rose Syrup
- 15 Pistachios roughly chopped
Instructions
Prep - work
- Sieve the chick pea flour and dry roast the chick pea flour for a minute in a pan without any oil and let it cool. If you have roasted chick pea flour, skip this step.
- Chop the pistachios and set aside.
- If required, powder the cardamom.
Steps
- Combine all the ingredients oil, sugar, cardamom and rose syrup in bowl.
- Mix them together and form a dough. I did not use hand mixer, I just mixed it with my hand.
- Dust your work surface with some chickpea flour and knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is more workable. The dough is very crumbly.
- Wrap tightly in cling wrap and set aside for 1.5 hours. Do not refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 300 F and line baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a dusted work surface until it is ½ to ¾-inch thick. Cut out cookies using your favorite cookie cutter and place the cookies on the baking tray, spaced 1 inch apart.
- Repeat the above for the remaining dough.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top of the cookie.
- Bake these for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cookies turn a light golden colour.
- Remove cookies from oven and let it cool on tray for a few minutes.
- Then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- I used black chickpea flour, so my cookies are brown when compared to the original recipe.
- Adjust the sugar as per your preference.
- Rose syrup or rose essence or rose water can be used in this recipe.
- Be careful when you transfer the cookies as they crumble very easily.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 75
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I have this recipe bookmarked for the alphabet but did not bake it. After seeing yours I am tempted even more to bake it. Looks awesome!
Please do try it out Sandhya. It’s super simple and yummm
I want to try this cookie right away!! I am so in love with the ingredients used!!
:-) :-) Thanks
Besan in cookies tasted amazing. I love adding it in my nan khatai . Love the shape.
I am yet to bake Nan Khatai… I agree, besan in cookies is awesome.
These cookies look sooooo tempting. I’m going to try these some time soon.
Thanks Pavani.
That’s so wonderful to see a cookie with besan..really too good..is this chickpea flour prepared the same way as ours?
Yes Valli. Thanks a lot.
Yum yum….beast cookies, baked Mysore pak…I am totally drooling now. Cookies look super tempting. Have to try them asap
:-) Thanks Sowmya.
Oops! Just realised the typo…meant ‘besan’ cookies
;-) No probs
Interesting version of the ‘baked mysore pak’ in your words. I have never tried baking with besan and this sounds like a good one.
he he.. yeah. Thanks
Chickpea flour cookies, wow! That’s a first I’ve heard of it.. they do sound flavorful. Will try them sometime.
:-) Thanks Namratha.
Scrumptious cookies, am in love with this chickpeas cookies and love the nuts and flavor went in it. Cute shaped cookies there.
Thanks Priya. :-)
Cookies with BESAN is interesting… Looks amazing
Thanks Lathi.
Excellent recipe and I am drooling while reading this recipe . I am a great fan of besan sweets and this is just what I would love . Instantly bookmarked . Once again Fantastic ! ?
Thank you so much Vaishali. Glad you liked it.