Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Starters & Side Dishes => Starters and Side Dishes Chat => Topic started by: Cory Ander on February 09, 2010, 01:15 PM
-
I can't recall who raised the prospect for cooking naans in an electric pizza maker but, it seems to me, it might be a very useful bit of kit for making naans too (failing having a tandoor to hand!).
I was looking at them the other day and they seem ideal for naans:
- they heat to 300 C or so ( a little cool, compared to a tandoor, I'm sure)
- they have a ceramic base (for a crutsy bottom...the naans I mean!)
- they have electrical heating elements above and below the food (for uniform heating)
- they have sufficient space above the dough (for it to rise)
Who has used an electric pizza maker for cooking naans please? What were your findings? What appropriate features should we be aware of for cooking naans?
I am thinking of buying one, for cooking naans, because our new electric oven is simply too weedy! :-\
-
I looked at a couple of these after seeing this post. The best results I've had to date are with direct heat, i.e. on a hot large skillet or under the grill. This looks as though it might work to me?
Certainly my favourite Onion Kulcha would benefit. (I think anyway).
-
I believe haldi has already tried this and wasn't that impressed with the results. I think he used this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pizza-at-Home-Maker/dp/B000GH3QIU/ref=pd_cp_kh_1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferrari-G10006-Delizia-Pizza-Oven/dp/B002VA4CDI/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=zonesqucom02-21&linkCode=w00&linkId=4ec8edee6c21105273ff5138c08ac8a1&creativeASIN=B002VA4CDI)
-
Buy a pizza stone instead. Heat it to maximum temperature.
Very similar to tandoor results, with similar cook times.
-
Done that, been there and done everything else too. Fact is you need soft bread to dip into the sauce right? That's all it is no matter how they/we do it. It's just soft baked flat bread.
I am interested however in any quick fix. ;)
Buy a pizza stone instead. Heat it to maximum temperature.
Very similar to tandoor results, with similar cook times.
-
I believe haldi has already tried this and wasn't that impressed with the results. I think he used this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pizza-at-Home-Maker/dp/B000GH3QIU/ref=pd_cp_kh_1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pizza-at-Home-Maker/dp/B000GH3QIU/ref=pd_cp_kh_1)
Yes, thanks SS, that's the type of thing I'm talking about. I remembered that Haldi tried one for making pizza but I couldn't remember if he'd also used it to make naan bread (given that he has a tandoor too).
-
Buy a pizza stone instead. Heat it to maximum temperature.
Very similar to tandoor results, with similar cook times.
That's what I've been doing to date Josh. Trouble is that my current oven is too weedy and seems lucky if it gets much above 220C.
One of these electric pizza makers should be very similar but hotter and more economical. I'd be surprised if they don't work well for naans too.
-
Ah, this is where Haldi tried it for naans: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3836.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3836.0) and found that the base was too crisp....
....maybe one with adjustable top and bottom heating elements is the one to try? Like this one:
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/3f5380c4c77830cf4b957aa0ce1db87e.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#3f5380c4c77830cf4b957aa0ce1db87e.jpg)
http://www.kitchendiscounts.com.au/buy/the-pizza-maker-just-red-pizza-oven/rball630 (http://www.kitchendiscounts.com.au/buy/the-pizza-maker-just-red-pizza-oven/rball630)
-
I know its a bit of a hassle but i usually place my naan in a dry heavy frying pan and cook the one side then throw it straight under the grill to finish the top off.
It turns out pretty close to a proper tandoor jobbie.
Mind you i use yeast in my dough so when it goes under the grill it rises as its cooking, sometimes i have to lower the grillpan to stop it burning.
But it does end up nice and doughy in the middle, ideal for the juices.
Ill post the recipe if anyones interested.
-
Thanks peterandjen,
I'm aware of the other alternatives, I'm particularly interested in using an electric pizza maker though (or similar).
Yes, please post your naan recipe in the recipe section :)
-
Don't think it'll much better [if at all] then your usual method CA just not hot enough.
The only other way Ive thought about before building a tandoor is to buy a el-cheepo electric oven from B&Q [or get my hands one on being thrown out] and disconnecting the regulator thermostat and safety stat, that would get hot enough i reckon.
-
my takeaway uses what i can only describe as a water hose but a blue flame comes out instead of water, obviously its gas coming through and cooks them that way after he has stretched the dough, he then uses his brusk and brushes his garlic watery paste onto it, i see him making them all the time lol
-
So has anyone, apart from Haldi, tried one?
-
So has anyone, apart from Haldi, tried one?
dont look like it
-
Im lucky to have a pretty good range cooker. The dial goes up to about 265 degrees which when you add in the fan effect takes it up to a comparible 290 degree non fan oven. I cook a lot of pizzas that I make from scratch and the cook in literally 5 minutes at that temperature. Rather than use a hot pizza stone I now prefer to use a pizza tray (metal corcle with holes in the bottom). I find this results in a base that is firm but not too crispy - think Dominos deep pan pizza.
I havent yet tried it with naan breads but I would imagine the conditions are very similar to a dedicated pizza oven. I'll make sure I give it a go in the near future and I'll post back my thoughts.
-
That's good Chris, will be interested to hear of your results, I'm sure it will work just fine.
In this thread I'm specifically interested in using an electric pizza maker instead. I can't see why it wouldn't work for naans and would like to hear from anyone who has tried one for that before I go out and buy one to see for myself.
-
I too have no problems using my oven for both pizza or naan. I've measured temps (with an IR gun) of 720 fahrenheit (about 400 celsius?). I can actually get much higher temps than that by tricking the cleaning cycle, but at that point it becomes ridiculously hot. I cook a pizza in about 4.5 minutes and naan in about 90 seconds.
For me the stone is far superior to a tray of any sort. I like a very thin crispy layer on the bottom of my naan, like you would get off the clay wall of a tandoor.
I do mean to post a video one of these days....
-- Josh
-
Yes, I'm aware of, and have tried, most other techniques Josh
But I would like to hear from anyone who has tried an ELECTRIC PIZZA MAKER, to make naans, before I go and buy one! ;D
As mentioned earlier, my current oven doesn't get hot enough (and I'm sure this will apply to others too).
(PS: 720F = 382C)
-
Hi all,
I'm not the messiah where naan breads are concerned but i have managed after a lot of trial and error to get a very acceptable result using a pizza maker, i still want a tandoor oven but for now this method does it for me.
I've tried all the other methods with yeast and without, splash guard over a gas ring, upturned tava plus grill and bake stone in the oven but for me the pizza maker produces reproducible consistent results.
I have tried mixing my naan dough by hand which i'm sure is what the BIR's would do but the results were always disappointing (heavy and stodgy with a sour yeast after taste) i.e Dips method, which probably works better with a clay oven than his video shows.
In the end i found that a breadmaker machine using very precise measures of ingredients made a soft pliable dough which when left to rise (in the breadmaker) and turned out onto a floured silicon sheet, without punching it down or reworking it and left for 10 mins to rise again.
Then the right amount was pinched out and rolled quite thinly, i've tried shaping by hand and that does work but it seems to puff up and blister quicker when rolled out.
So in a nutshell i don't think it's just the pizza maker but a combination of correct recipe dough and making sure your baking stone is up to temp and more importantly seasoned (give it some abuse with pizza and flat bread for a while) else it will stick.
For the naan recipe i use and the method <a href="http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4610.0" target="_blank">CLICK HERE[/url]
God that was confusing and i wrote it :-\
Oh well just my 2p's worth, Rob.
-
Hi Guys
I use a pizza tray to cook my nans in the oven much better than a oven stone plus the tray is non stick.
http://www.habitat.co.uk/fcp/product/browse/Pizza-oven-tray/962459 (http://www.habitat.co.uk/fcp/product/browse/Pizza-oven-tray/962459)
by the way i only paid 3 quid for my tray from wilkinsons store.
-
Just thought i'd post an update for all those still wondering about the pizza maker method.
<a href="http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4610.30" target="_blank">NEW PHOTO'S[/url] link
Have a look about halfway down for a shot of a naan part cooked on the stone, thats after about 2mins and its done in about 5mins.
Rob.