Jeera Biscuit (Indian Sweet-Salty Cumin Cookies)

Close-up of a hand holding a soft, homemade jeera biscuit for tea.

Jeera Biscuit (Indian Sweet-Salty Cumin Cookies)

Author:

Soniya Saluja

Sweet-and-salty Indian tea-time biscuit inspired by Parle Monaco and Britannia 50-50 childhood memories. Butter + powdered sugar + hand-crushed cumin (jeera) in an easy log-slice method. Bake in the oven or air fryer. Yields 24 biscuits.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

chill: 10

Total Time: 40

Servings:

24 biscuits

Calories:

37kcal

Ingredients

½ cup melted unsalted butter cooled to warm, not hot
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon hand-crushed cumin seeds (jeera) crush whole seeds fresh in a mortar and pestle
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (maida) whole wheat atta works too; add extra milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk whole milk best; add 2 to 3 tablespoons more if using atta

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment. For air fryer, preheat to 320°F (160°C).
Whisk the melted (and cooled) butter with the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. The butter should be liquid but not hot.
Crush the whole cumin seeds fresh in a mortar and pestle. Stir into the butter mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture. Mix until crumbly.
Pour in the milk and bring the dough together into a firm log. If using whole wheat atta, add an extra 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of cling wrap. Shape into a log about 10 to 12 inches long and 1½ to 2 inches thick. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (longer is better).
Slice the chilled log into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Arrange on the parchment-lined tray with space between each biscuit.
Oven: bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Air fryer: bake at 320°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Let the biscuits cool completely on the tray. They crisp as they cool. Store in an airtight container once fully cooled.

Video

Notes

Best tips for the perfect jeera biscuit:

Cool the melted butter before you use it. Hot butter cooks the flour on contact and turns the dough gummy, so the biscuits spread flat and lose their sweet-salty balance.
Chill longer if you have time. Ten minutes is the minimum; an hour or overnight gives cleaner slices and a snappier bake.
Keep slices the same thickness. Uneven slices bake unevenly, so thin edges scorch while thick centers stay doughy.
Pull them when the edges are just golden. The centers keep cooking on the hot tray and firm up as they cool.
Swap jeera for ajwain if that's your childhood flavor. Same quantity, gives you a peppery, thyme-adjacent biscuit instead.

Whole wheat variation: substitute atta 1:1 for the maida, add 2 to 3 extra tablespoons of milk to bring the dough together. Watch the bake time carefully; whole wheat browns faster than maida.

Ajwain variation: swap the cumin seeds for ajwain (carom seeds) in the same quantity. Gives a peppery, thyme-adjacent flavor.

Nutrition