A buttery crisp and tender; these Jeera Biscuits are classic Indian cookies that are super easy to make at home with just 5 basic pantry ingredients.
What are Jeera Biscuits?
Jeera Biscuits are basically a classic variety of biscuits that is locally made in Indian bakeries.
Jeera or Zeera translates to Cumin in English, so these are butter biscuits that are flavoured with roasted cumin seeds which is where all the flavour for this recipe comes from.
What makes it different is also the addition of some extra salt that you would not normally add in a cookie recipe.
The recipe calls for 1tsp of salt which balances the sugar in the recipe making it a perfect tea time accompaniment and also this is the reason why it is called as namkeen biscuits aka savoury biscuits.
Why try this Recipe?
Aren't cookies made of butter and love? Well that itself is enough to bake cookies right?
But this recipe takes it to another level:
- Has an unique flavour - the addition of extra salt and roasted cumin seeds gives out an amazing flavour to the cookie like never before.
- Made using just 5 basic pantry staple ingredients.
- Definite Crowd Pleaser.
- No Baking Soda or Powder needed.
- Has a good shelf life.
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes:
- Butter: Use Unsalted butter; if using salted reduce the amount of salt added a little.
- Cumin Seeds: Freshly roasted and grounded cumin seeds enhances the flavour. However you can also use store bought roasted cumin seeds too.
Step by Step Tutorial:
Step 1: Roasting Cumin Seeds:
You can roast the cumin seeds until it turns brown and fragnant in a saucepan or also in a microwave.
Simply add the cumin seeds to a pan and dry roast over medium flame until it turns brown in colour (image 1).
If roasting in a microwave, place it on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 2 mins, stirring at 1 min mark.
Let it cool a bit.
Reserve about a tsp of seeds and crush the remaining using rolling pin coarsely and set aside (image 2).
Step 2: Preparing the Cookie Dough
In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar using a spatula until mixed and creamy (image 3-4).
Add the flour, salt and crushed cumin seeds (images 5-6).
Combine until everything comes together into a dough taking care not to knead the dough.
Once combined flatten it out to make a circular disc, cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 mins (image 7).
Please note if you find that the dough is dry and is not combining together then and only then add a tsp of milk at a time until combined or else you can skip using milk in this recipe.
After 30 mins take the dough out, dust some flour on your worktop and roll the dough evenly to 1/4th inch thickness.
Sprinkle the reserved whole cumin seeds on top and gently press using your rolling pin (image 9).
Using the desired cookie cutter shape, cut out the dough (image 10).
Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper leaving some space in between each dough (image 11).
Bake in a preheated oven of for 8 to 12 mins or until the sides turn golden brown and the centre remains pale (image 12).
Once baked, allow it to rest in the pan itself for 3 mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with your evening tea or pack it in your kids lunch box and serve as a snack.
Baker's Tips:
- Ingredients: It is important that you use softened butter so that it easily mixes with the sugar without incorporating too much air into the batter which causes the cookie to spread. So try to avoid that.
- Timing: Do not beat the butter and sugar for long. Just mix until sugar is dissolved and combined and it looks homogenous and creamy.
- Freshness: Using freshly roasted and crushed cumin seeds brings in so much flavour. So I highly recommend using it fresh rather than buying roasted cumin seeds from the shop.
- Kneading: Never knead a cookie dough, it causes gluten to develop which changes the texture of the baked cookie.
- Rolling: Roll the dough evenly so that the cookie bakes evenly.
- Colour: If you find that the base of your cookie always bakes faster than the top or it turns brown quickly you can follow the double pan method to avoid that.
- Follow the basic baking principles - preheating the oven, lining the tray with parchment paper and always bake in the middle rack to make perfect cookies.
Storage (Make-Ahead) Instructions.
The baked Jeera Biscuits stays fresh for upto 10 days in an air tight container at counter top.
You can make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it for upto 3 months.
Whenever you need it, just thaw the dough a bit and then roll and cut out the cookie dough as mentioned in the post.
Recipe FAQ's
This will happen if you accidentally whip air while beating the sugar and butter which causes the cookies to spread while baking. This video on troubleshooting common baking problems would help you understand it in detail.
To soften the butter simply cube it and let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Now when you press the butter using your finger it should glide through easily.
Yes you can use whole wheat flour in this recipe in place of APF. If you find that the mixture is dry and not combining simply add a tsp of milk at a time until the dough comes together.
Well technically No because that is what this recipe is all about. However you can skip cumin seeds to experiment or for whatever reason and use any other spice in place of it but then please note that the flavour profile would be different and you can no longer call it Jeera Biscuits and it would be a simple Butter biscuits.
Related Recipes:
- 3 ingredient Butter Biscuits
- Bakery Style Tutti Fruity Biscuits
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Khasta Nankhatai recipe
Jeera Biscuits
Ingredients
- 113 gms (or 1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter softened
- 1/4 cup Icing Sugar (Refer notes)
- 1 cup Maida/All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
- 2 tbsp Milk if needed (Refer notes)
Instructions
Step 1 - Roasting the Cumin Seeds
- Start by roasting the jeera or cumin seeds until fragrant and slightly darker in colour in a fry pan over the stove top. Keep aside to cool until needed.
- Alternatively you can also microwave the cumin seeds for 2 mins until dark, remember to stir it once in an interval of 30 seconds.
Step 2 - Cookie Dough Instructions
- Using a spatula, beat together the butter and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and combined with the butter. (Takes about 2 to 3 mins)
- Add the dry ingredients (flour + salt) in two stages until combined.
- Finally, add in the jeera and combine it into a cookie dough using your hands.
- Never knead a cookie dough, just combine till it comes together as a dough. If you beat the butter and sugar well there won't be any need to add milk. IF at this stage you find that the dough is a bit dry and not forming into a dough then add milk a tsp at a time until combined.
- Transfer it to your worktop. Flatten it out to form a circular disc. Cling wrap and let it refrigerate for 15-30 mins.
- Roll out the chilled dough to even thickness of 1/4 inches. Cut out desired shapes using your favourite cookie cutter. Transfer to a baking tray that has been lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven of 180°C for 10-12 mins until golden on the sides and pale in the centre.
- You can always re-roll the scraps, cut using a cookie cutter and bake too.
- Once baked let it stand in the baking tray itself for another 3 mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- I have used unsalted butter here but if you want to use Salted Butter then in that case just reduce the amount of salt to 1/2 tsp.
- It is important that you use softened butter so that it easily mixes with the sugar without incorporating too much air into the batter which causes the cookie to spread. So try to avoid that. This video on troubleshooting common baking problems explains it in much detail.
- Do not beat the butter and sugar for long. Just mix until sugar is dissolved and combined and it looks homogenous and creamy.
- If you do not have icing sugar, please powder your regular sugar and then use.
- Using freshly roasted and crushed cumin seeds brings in so much flavour. So I highly recommend using it fresh rather than buying roasted cumin seeds from the shop.
- Never knead a cookie dough, it causes gluten to develop which changes the texture of the baked cookie.
- Milk mentioned in the recipe is just optional. If you find that the dough is dry and crumbly and not coming together only then add milk a tsp at a time till you form a dough
- Roll the dough evenly so that the cookie bakes evenly.
- If you find that the base of your cookie always bakes faster than the top or it turns brown quickly you can follow the double pan method to avoid that.
- Follow the basic baking principles - preheating the oven, lining the tray with parchment paper and always bake in the middle rack to make perfect cookies.
Nutrition
This post was first published on Apr 5, 2018. Now updated to add better pictures, detailed step by step instructions with pictures, included Baker's tips and also Storage instructions and published on Mar 17 2021.
Pallavi says
Hi , I loved the way you explain everything in detail in your videos... I tried this recepie with ghee and found that its too salty... will using unsalted butter reduces the saltness?
sushma iyer says
Hi Pallavi.. Glad you are liking the recipes.. you can reduce the amount of salt to 3/4 tsp in that case.
Mimi says
Hi can I use oil instead of butter, dairy allergy
sushma iyer says
Hi Mimi..
No oil won't work here.. Sorry
Regards
Sushma