Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Starters & Side Dishes => Starters & Side Dishes => Breads (Naan, Puri, Chapatti, Paratha, etc) => Topic started by: jb on August 07, 2012, 06:10 PM
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In anticipation of this weekend's curry feast I thought I'd have another go at cooking naan breads in my tandoori oven.These tandoori chefs make it look so easy but I guess practice makes perfect.Too low in the oven and they burn and are like scones and too high and they end up too dough-like.I've watched countless videos and studied various recipes but I found this one here and I've finally cracked it(almost!!) I only lost one in the bottom of the oven and the more I made the better they were.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1870.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1870.0)
The ingredients themselves are nothing new but the method of leaving it overnight in the fridge and again leaving it to rest before cooking certainly works for me.Just wondering the best way to reheat them??? They are obviously best straight out of the oven but I don't really want to be mucking about cooking them on the night.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/05d7b2003fb8bdf4317193a0cb8d32e9.JPG)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/5c353a7170b3125a08e45d622324a90d.JPG)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/c65c2ba6ad389935f01b5d1e65e6456a.JPG)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/57e04a5080c9a5902b77bcc7a825f024.JPG)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/caa48ae811e08a751b227f0630cdf220.JPG)
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I generally freeze my extra naan's and find that in the toaster or under a grill for 1.5 - 2 mins from frozen and they are not bad.
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I think your right jB
I made some this weekend and cooked a few but the ones I cooked the following day after being in the fridge I found were better
key points for me are to sieve the flour making sure not too dry
Knead for 10 min then rest for 45min then knead for 5min divide into balls then rest again
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Well, they're certainly looking the business jb ;). As with everything, practice does make perfect. As for reheating 30 seconds on full in the micro does a very good job :D
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Is ot just me or are the edges of the naan cooking faster than the centre. you usually get the crispy bubbles in the middle of the naan with less charring at the edges??
What temp is your tandoor in the middle?
Regards
barry
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Is ot just me or are the edges of the naan cooking faster than the centre. you usually get the crispy bubbles in the middle of the naan with less charring at the edges??
What temp is your tandoor in the middle?
Regards
barry
I have no idea of the temperature,bloomin' hot.I should have waited a bit longer as the oven did get even hotter but I was getting impatient! Maybe next time I'll wait and they'll bubble up more.
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I seem to remember reading that the restaurant tandoor reaches 500 celsius :o. I think the closer you get to this, the easier it would be to crack it. it takes one more variable out of the equation :)
regards
barry
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Yes.
Same as curry hell-30 seconds in the microwave warms them through.
Because i make my bread well in advance,they tend to dry out and become a bit hard,but reheated in the microwave oven gives them that slight sogginess i prefer.
(I had to check to see if sogginess was an actually word.It is) ;D
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great post jb
i find naans hard to get right.
yours look excellent.
just one observation, the inside of your tandoor looks very sooty.
i find firelighters are the main culprit. I give mine a quick wipe with a damp cloth.
have you experimented with using the lid (briefly) while cooking the naans?
regards
mick
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great post jb
i find naans hard to get right.
yours look excellent.
just one observation, the inside of your tandoor looks very sooty.
i find firelighters are the main culprit. I give mine a quick wipe with a damp cloth.
have you experimented with using the lid (briefly) while cooking the naans?
regards
mick
Thanks mate,I do actually cook the naans with the lid on,I only took it off for the photos.
I'm glad you mentioned the soot,that was another question I was going to ask.So you think firelighters are the culprit? I did wipe the inside of the tandoor before I slapped the naans on but the thing is so damn hot.I'm not sure how I can get the oven going without using firelighters,I did spot some charcoal recently that was encased in it's own bag that you simply light,any thoughts?
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Hi jb
Im sure its the the firelighters that cause the soot. I tend to use the instant light bags now instead.
I use one to get the thing going. I light the bag, drop it in and leave it alone for 5 - 10 minutes. It pays to stir the charcoal up at this stage to make sure all the paper has burnt. I then open the bottom vent fully, and load some restaurant charcoal (a must have) into the tandoor. I then put the lid on about three quarters, and rotate the tandoor so the vent is pointing into the prevailing breeze - if there is one of course. Usually I leave the tandoor well alone for at least an hour. Try it and see what you think!
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I then put the lid on about three quarters, and rotate the tandoor so the vent is pointing into the prevailing breeze - if there is one of course.
Not familiar with the design of your tandoor, Mick, so I am wondering whether this is an intake vent or an exhaust vent ? If it is an exhaust vent, I wonder if you might get even better results by pointing it downwind so as to take advantage of the venturi effect.
** Phil.
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hi phil.
the lid fits on the top of the tandoor like a......lid lol and the vent is really more of an inlet with a sliding door. I think jbs is the same as mine (spices of india) - thats why I havent bothered getting too technical with descriptions of the various features. By putting the lid three quarters on, appears to create a sort of "reverse venturi" effect (getting teccy now) and appears to help the tandoor get up to temp by holding that hot air inside the tandoor for longer
Because I havent got a thermometer I dont actually know for sure. ::) ::)
Its all part of the fun imo.
Theres more to it than meets the eye!
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Hi jb
Im sure its the the firelighters that cause the soot. I tend to use the instant light bags now instead.
I use one to get the thing going. I light the bag, drop it in and leave it alone for 5 - 10 minutes. It pays to stir the charcoal up at this stage to make sure all the paper has burnt. I then open the bottom vent fully, and load some restaurant charcoal (a must have) into the tandoor. I then put the lid on about three quarters, and rotate the tandoor so the vent is pointing into the prevailing breeze - if there is one of course. Usually I leave the tandoor well alone for at least an hour. Try it and see what you think!
Thanks for that,I was actually about to buy one of those instant bags but decided against it,I'll give it a try.Restaurant charcoal...now you've got me going where the hell can I buy that??!!! How does it differ from the normal stuff?? I thought charcoal is just charcoal.Thanks for your help by the way this tandoor is one of the best things I've brought(can't wait to cook my tikka tommorow).
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hi phil.
the lid fits on the top of the tandoor like a......lid lol and the vent is really more of an inlet with a sliding door. I think jbs is the same as mine (spices of india) - thats why I havent bothered getting too technical with descriptions of the various features. By putting the lid three quarters on, appears to create a sort of "reverse venturi" effect (getting teccy now) and appears to help the tandoor get up to temp by holding that hot air inside the tandoor for longer
Because I havent got a thermometer I dont actually know for sure. ::) ::)
Its all part of the fun imo.
Theres more to it than meets the eye!
You're spot on,looks like we have the same tandoor.
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restaurant charcoal isnt an option - its a necessity!!
http://barbequick.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=88 (http://barbequick.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=88)
it works out the same price as the dust you can buy from the diy stores
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hey jb,
you cannot get a tandoor hot enough without using restaurant charcoal.
When I cook naans, i equip myself with a long sleeved sweatshirt and a (clean) leather gardening glove.
The heat is so intense its incredible.
I once asked myself the question: can you get a tandoor too hot? I know the answer now.
Yes you can but only with restaurant charcoal.
I once had the tandoor so hot that the naans were spontainiously combusting after 15 seconds and were still raw on the inside - and that was after rolling them out as thin as i could... 1.5 - 2mm ish
shame i havent got any photos