Recipes From An Afghan Kitchen: Khetayee

We share a delicious recipe from Parwana: Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen BY Durkhanai Ayubi

Khetayee/Sweet Biscuits for Eid (SERVES 12)

These traditional sweet biscuits are usually made during Eid celebrations in Afghanistan. During my parents’ time there, people bought these from the local bakeries called kulchah feroshees, which used age-old techniques, and had special ovens to bake biscuits and pastries to perfection.

300g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

110g (1 cup) full-cream (whole) milk powder 1 teaspoon baking powder

125g (1 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar 310ml (1¼ cups) warm oil

35g (¼ cup) ground pistachios

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).

2. Add all the ingredients, except the oil and pistachios, to a bowl and mix to combine well. Slowly add

the oil and, using your hands, mix to form a soft but firm dough.

3. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll them into smooth balls between your palms. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and press each ball with your hand to flatten slightly. Put an indent at the centre of the biscuit with your thumb, then bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are light golden.

4. Cool the khetayee briefly on the tray beforet ransferring them to a wire rack. Add a small pinch of ground pistachios to the indent of each biscuit to decorate and serve when they are completely cooled. Khetayee can be stored for 3–4 days in an airtight container.