Iyengar Bakery Khara Biscuits ~ Savory Shortbread Cookies

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Iyengar Bakery Khara Biscuits ~ Savory Shortbread Cookies

Copycat version of Iyengar bakery khara biscuits are spicy, flavorful shortbread cookies. Green chilies and cilantro make these one irresistible savory biscuits. Great tea time snack, between meals snack and also works great as a starter for parties.

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings pieces

Calories 72kcal

Ingredients

128 grams All Purpose Flour, that is 1 measuring cup
3 tablespoon Butter, softened
2 teaspoon Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
3 small Green Chilies, chopped adjust to taste
1 – 1 ½ tablespoon chopped Cilantro
1 – 1 ½ tablespoon Yogurt (start with 1 tablespoon and use more if required. I use 1 ½ tbsp)

Instructions

Preheat the oven 325 F (160 C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with aluminum foil. If using aluminum foil, lightly greased with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
In a bowl sift together flour, salt and keep aside.
In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a handheld beater or a mixer till creamy, about 2 – 3 minutes.
Add yogurt and continue to beat until it mixes into butter.
Gradually add flour and beat slowly until combined. You may not be able to combine all the flour with the beater and do not hesitate to use your hands. Do not apply too much pressure though. Work gently with your fingers.
Add chopped chilies, cilantro and more yogurt if necessary and combine to form dough. Dough will be crumbly and not wet at all.
Divide the dough into two and roll each portion of the dough into ¼” thickness. It was easier for me to work with 2 smaller dough portions than one.
The edges of the rolled dough will be rough and that is ok.
Cut into discs using a cookie cutter. Depending the size of the cookie cutter and how thick/thin you roll the dough, this recipe yields 8-12 cookies.
Collect the scapes, form a ball, roll it again and cut into more discs. Repeat it until you do not have enough scapes to roll out.
Transfer cookies/discs on to the prepared cookie/baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Turn the tray around halfway into baking. Mine were done in 18 minutes.
Cookies will not turn brown on the top but bottom will be golden brown when baked. Cookies might feel soft when removed from the oven but will continue to bake and firm up as they cool.
Cool on a cooling rack and store in an airtight container. Serve as a hors d’oeuvres at a party or as an evening snack.

Notes

Spices & Herbs - Use spices and herbs of your choice. For this recipe, 1 tablespoon of chili flakes, 1 teaspoon of dry herbs of your choice work well. When using fresh herbs use 1 – 1 ½ tablespoon of chopped herbs. If using mint, go easy on it. Curry leaves are a good choice for Indian flavor.
Non Indian Flavor - For non Indian flavor, try black pepper or chili flakes with rosemary or parsley.
Bake Time - Temperature of an oven varies from oven to oven. First time you bake the cookies, use the baking time as a guide to figure out the correct bake time in your oven.
Number of Cookies - for this recipe, you get 8-12 cookies depending on the size of the cookie and the thickness.
Nutrition - Values mentioned are approximate values.

Nutrition