Topic: CA's Naan Bread (Illustrated!)

[Cory Ander]

Background:

This is my recipe for naan bread.  It produces light, supple and tasty naans, without the use of a tandoor.  It involves cooking the naans on a very hot "Tava" (i.e. flat, side-less, pan).  Although they are not as good as those cooked in a restaurant tandoor, this method, nevertheless, produces perfectly acceptable home-cooked naans.

I have included photographs, to illustrate each step, and I hope that this proves to be helpful.

I have also included variations for Garlic, Kulcha (onion), Keema (minced meat) and Peshwari (almond and sultana) Naans (see note 9 below)........(to follow)

For keema naans see here:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1448.msg41835#msg41835

Makes about 16 (large) to 32 (small) Naans

Ingredients ? photo 1:

• 500g plain flour
• 500g self-raising flour
• 1/4 pint (140ml) milk
• 3/4 pint (420ml) water
• 3 tbsp plain (or Greek style) yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp melted butter ghee (or vegetable oil) for dough
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp wild onion seeds ("kalonji" or "nigella")
• 200g (approximately) melted butter ghee (or butter or vegetable oil) for brushing naans with, prior to cooking

Method:

1.     Sieve the flours into a large bowl - photo 2

2.     Add the wild onion seeds and mix - photo 3

3.     Add the milk and water to a bowel or measuring jug

4.     Add the yoghurt, salt, egg, 1 tbsp melted ghee (or vegetable oil) and sugar and whisk until smooth - photo 3

5.     Make a well in the centre of the flour and gradually add sufficient liquid mixture (from step 4) to make a smooth, pliable dough - photos 4 & 5

6.     Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth, stiff, pliable dough - photos 6, 7 & 8

7.     Discard any surplus liquid mixture

8.     Brush the outside of the dough with vegetable oil and cover with cling-film.  This prevents the dough from oxidising and discolouring - photo 9

9.     Place the dough in a fridge overnight

10.   Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to return to room temperature (approximately 2 to 4 hours)

11.   Divide the dough into 16 (large) or 32 (small) equally sized balls - photo 10 (back)

12.   Place each ball onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a thin oblong shape of approximately 2mm thick.  Aim for a slightly uneven thickness, by kneading and pulling the dough with your fingers - photo 10 (front)

13.   Form the oblong into a tear-drop shaped naan (if required)

14.   Heat a "Tava" (or a flat bottomed griddle or frying pan), on gas burner, until very hot - photo 11

15.   Place the naan onto the Tava and brush the upper face with melted ghee (or with melted butter or vegetable oil).  Alternatively, leave the naan uncoated

16.   Cook for about 45 - 60 seconds until the naan is blistering and just browning underneath (lift it with a spatula and check from time-to-time) - photo 12

17.    Flip the naan over and cook the other side for about 30 - 45 seconds until it is just browning (alternatively, place the naan under a very hot grill, for a minute or so, until it is just browning and blistering) - photo 13

For revised method see here:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1448.msg41835#msg41835

18.   The naans can be either frozen (and reheated) or eaten immediately - photo 14

Notes: 

1.     Unless stated otherwise, the following measures apply:

a)  "tsp" = 1 level 5ml teaspoon
b)  "tbsp" = 1 level 15ml tablespoon

2.     I'm not particularly fond of the sour taste of yeast and I therefore do not use it.  The dough, therefore, does not need proving and it will not rise appreciably.  I think it is also highly unlikely that BIRs use yeast either.

3.      I add yoghurt for its flavour rather than as a raising agent

4.      Many recipes use only self-raising flour.  I find that this produces naans that are too leavened for my liking.  I therefore use a 50:50 mix of self-raising and plain flour to avoid this

5.      Many recipes use additional Baking Powder as a raising agent.  I find that this can make the naans too hard and I therefore do not use it.

6.      I highly recommend brushing the naans with melted butter ghee (i.e. clarified butter) in Step 16.  It imparts a particularly nice flavour, yellow colouring and a crispness to the surface of the naan

7.     Whilst the wild onion seeds ("kalonji" or "nigella") are not essential, they impart a very nice and distinctive taste to the naans and I highly recommend them accordingly

8.     These naans freeze excellently.  To reheat them, simply defrost and heat in a microwave, on full power, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are steaming hot.  However, do not over cook them as they will become like cardboard!

9.      Other options:

a)     Substitute some (or all) of the wild onion seeds with sesame or cummin seeds in Step 2
b)     Sprinkle some finely chopped fresh coriander onto the top of the naans, after brushing with ghee, in Step 15
c)     To make garlic naans, sprinkle finely chopped fresh garlic onto the top of the naans, after brushing with ghee, in Step 15
d)     To make kulcha naans, ...
e)     To make keema naans (see here:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1448.msg41835#msg41835)
f)     To make peshwari naans, ..

Copyright Cory Ander 2006

[Cory Ander]

photos:

Photo 1:  The ingredients (from left to right):

• plain flour
• sugar
• milk
• butter ghee (or vegetable oil)
• egg
• salt
• wild onion seeds ("kalonji" or "nigella")
• self-raising flour
• plain (or greek style) yoghurt

[Cory Ander]

photos (from top left to right, then bottom left to right):

Photo 2:  Sifting the flour
Photo 3:  Adding the wild onion seeds
Photo 4:  Adding the liquid mixture
Photo 5:  Mixing the flour and liquid mixture 

[Cory Ander]

photos (from top left to right, then bottom left to right):

Photo 6, 7 & 8:  Kneading the dough
Photo 9:            Oiling & wrapping the dough
 

[Cory Ander]

photos (from top left to right, then bottom left to right):

Photo 10:  Dividing & shaping the dough
Photo 11:  The Tava
Photo 12:  Cooking the first side of the naan
Photo 13:  Cooking the second side of the naan
 

[Cory Ander]

photos:

Photo 14:  Cooked naans ready to eat!

Top:  Naans cooked to revised method (oven/grill) here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1448.msg41835#msg41835

Bottom:  Naans cooked to previous method (tava)

[DARTHPHALL]

Absolutely awesome post, total Naan Bread recipe/method thanks Cory  .
 (copy ..print lol)  ;D

[Mark J]

Superb stuff, thanks a lot Cory

[indianwells]

Cory is a culinary genius!

[Chilli Prawn]

Wow, what can I say Cory, absolutely fantastic.
CP