Topic: CA's Naan Bread (Illustrated!)

[Stephen Lindsay]

I really need to do a video on naan, as its the only area I feel I've "cracked" at 100%. And that's without a tandoor.

Josh

I've never ever felt my naans were up to scratch and would love you to share your experience.

[joshallen2k]

Stephen - I've had this on my to-do for too long. I will post something soon!

-- Josh

[surge]

Hi  ;D

Followed your recipe and i'm delighted with the results they turned out excellent.using the frying pan method worked a treat.so many thanks for showing me how its done

[George]

At least you'd then maybe appreciate that it's actually quite HARD to take a decent photo of a curry or accompaniment! 

This is a curry forum - not a photography forum. You know how to take a good photo and I guess you probably have a good camera which helps. So your comment about it being quite hard to take a decent photo applies to the photographic skills needed. I'm interested in taste and flavour, which is something else. Your dishes probably DO taste very good but I suggest it's got very little to do with what they look like.

[Cory Ander]

This is a curry forum - not a photography forum

The two are not mutually exclusive George.  The fact that "Pictures of Your Curries" is the fifth most popular board, by posts, suggests to me that members like to see photos of other members' efforts.

I guess you probably have a good camera

No, I have a very basic (and outdated) point and shoot 5 megapixel digital camera.

I'm interested in taste and flavour, which is something else....but I suggest it's got very little to do with what they look like.

Of course, I presume we are all interested in taste and flavour too.  But the appearance is also important and gives a good indication as to whether it is likely to be any good, in my opinion. 

I rarely buy a cookbook that doesn't illustrate every dish.  Do you?  I then flick through it thinking "yum, that looks nice...let's see what's in that then and how it's made...perhaps I'll give that a go today...."  Pretty normal, I'd suggest?

I'm sorry George, but I find it somewhat galling when members, who don't post recipes and photos, continually criticise the photos and recipes of those that do.  And we do have several of them....

[Cory Ander]

For completeness, here is my method for producing keema naans:

I use this keema (sheek kebab) mixture which looks, works and tastes just fine:

1.0 Ingredients:

- 400g minced lamb (or beef if you prefer)
- 3 tsp tandoori masala (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1514.0)
- 1 tsp of fresh garlic (minced)
- handfull of fresh, finely chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- 1 egg (for binding)
- 3 tbsp sugar (white granulated is fine)
- 1 tsp mint jelly (or sauce)
- 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves

2.0 Method:

- lightly beat egg
- mix all ingredients and work into a course dough (by hand)

PS:  this is enough keema mix to make about 16 BIG naans.  I freeze any leftover for future use.

I cook them on a hot tava (30 seconds), then on a pizza stone, in a very hot oven/grill (260C), for about 2 minutes, until browing on top, then in a microwave (for 1 minute on high) to ensure the keema meat was cooked thoroughly.

I have also adopted this method for plain naans (and any other naans).

CAUTION:  Liquid from the keema can leak onto the pizza stone and crack it! BEWARE! 

From top left:

- keema meat
- ball of dough (approx. 60mm diameter) with a ball of keema (approx. 25mm diameter)
- keema meat pushed into a "well" in the dough
- dough shaped into a ball again (keema meat inside)
- ball flattened into a disc with palm of hand
- disc shaped into a naan
- cooking on a hot tava (30 secs)
- cooking in a hot oven/grill (approx. 2 minutes, until bubbly and browned)
- finished naan brushed with butter ghee

[Jenk]

Well its 7:45am here and now after reading all this thread Im craving keema nann for breakfast lol.

Thanks CA for taking the time to post this recipe and photos, i cant wait to give this a try.  I may pop to my local Indian store and see if I can buy a tava.  Are cast irons ones the best to go for?

Thanks again

Emma

[Stephen Lindsay]

Stephen - I've had this on my to-do for too long. I will post something soon!
-- Josh

Josh - how are you getting on with your naans? - I've been making Pacman's naan recipe for some time now and I think they are getting better each time I make them. I took some dough through to my pal in Edinburgh last weekend (along with 9 curries and rice) and he thought they were good. I think the secret is getting the consistency of the dough right. I've probably been making too stiff/dry a dough and the last couple of times the dough was been wet but not sloppy - this has meant for a much crispier/softer naan on bottom and top. They are now starting to taste like naans from BIRs so I'm making progress.

[Cory Ander]

I may pop to my local Indian store and see if I can buy a tava.  Are cast irons ones the best to go for?

Hi Emma, and welcome to cr0.  Many local Asian stores, in Perth, sell tawas/tavas.  Most are aluminium (which is what I use) but cast iron is also fine (if you can find one, that is).  Any heavy, flat bottomed, pan will also suffice.

Please note that I have changed the cooking method in this recipe (since I first wrote it).  I now do the following:

• roll/pull/knead the naan to shape
• place the naan on a medium hot tawa, for around thirty seconds, to lightly brown (not burn) the underside.  The naan will stick if the temperature is too cold.  The underside will burn if it's too hot.  The dough should just begin to bubble/rise at this stage
• transfer to a very hot grill, for around a minute, or so, until it is just blistering and browning.  The naan will begin to rise within around 20 to 30 seconds.  Make sure the naan isn't too close to the elements/gas (or it will burn).  Make sure it isn't too far away from the elements/gas (or it won't rise)

You can use a very hot oven, instead of a very hot grill, if you prefer.

Please note that it takes only around 2 minutes, or so, total cooking time.  If it takes longer than this, the temperature is too cold, the naans won't rise, and they will become rock hard! 

[cjm28]

Just made these On an Aga and they were fantastic. Thanks CA.

Does anyone have a recipe for peshwari paste? The coconut type paste?