Naan Berenji

Naan Berenji (Persian Rice Flour & Cardamom Cookies)

Naan Berenji are delicate, crumbly Persian cookies from Iran, prized for their melt-in-the-mouth texture. Made with rice flour and perfumed with cardamom and rose water, they are a traditional treat often served with tea or alongside Nowruz spreads.

Prep

20 min

Cook

18 min

Total

38 min

Serves

30 cookies

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz (about 1¼ cups)) rice flour, finely ground; traditionally made at home by soaking, drying and grinding raw rice
• •60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
• •120 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; traditional recipes often use ghee
• •100 g (½ cup) powdered sugar, sifted; do not substitute granulated
• •1 whole (1 large) egg yolk, save the white for brushing
• •1 whole (1 large) egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing
• •10 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) ground cardamom, freshly ground green pods for the best aroma
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) rose water, use Persian rose water if available
• •5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract, optional but common in home versions
• •1 g (¼ tsp) salt
• •30 g (2 tbsp) poppy seeds, for topping; optional but traditional
• •1 g (¼ tsp) baking powder, optional, for a slightly lighter cookie

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2 Spread the rice flour on a dry baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes, stirring once, until it smells faintly nutty. Let it cool completely. This step mimics the dry, toasted rice flour used in Iran and gives the cookies their characteristic sandy texture.
3. 3 In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sifted powdered sugar together with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. 4 Beat in the egg yolk, rose water, vanilla (if using) and salt until smooth.
5. 5 Add the ground cardamom, then sift in the cooled rice flour, all-purpose flour and baking powder (if using). Mix gently with a spatula just until a soft dough comes together; do not overwork it.
6. 6 Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes so the rice flour can hydrate and the dough firms up enough to handle.
7. 7 Pinch off pieces of dough about 15 g (1 tbsp) each and roll between your palms into smooth balls. Place on the prepared sheets spacing them 4 cm (1½ in) apart, and press down very gently with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly.
8. 8 Brush the tops with the lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle each cookie with a few poppy seeds.
9. 9 Bake on the middle rack for 14–18 minutes, until the edges are just pale gold and the bases are set; the tops should remain pale, almost white, which is traditional. Do not let them brown.
10. 10 Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes (they firm up as they cool), then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks; the flavor deepens after a day or two.