Topic: UB's Naan Recipe - Illustrated

[Unclebuck]

UB's NAAN RECIPE - ILLUSTRATED

For continuity Ive keep this post to Cory anders format for easy reading

Background:

This recipe for home made naan breads, Ive been trying all types of recipes for naan breads from here and other sites although some are very good just havent been able to replicate the take away style? the trouble is that restaurants have the luxury of the use of a tandoor - so this recipe has been modded to achieve rising, blistering and getting that fluffiness at hob base temperatures.
This recipe will make 5 large naans.

Ingredients: photo 1

2 cup plain flour
1 cup self rising flour
1 egg
1 Tbsp Greek yogurt
0.5 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1 cup warm water
1 tsp yeast

Method:

1. Mix warm water and yeast and set aside (leave for 2 min)

2. Sieve flours and mix in bowl

3. Whisk egg, milk, oil, salt, yogurt together

4. Add warm water to flour mix with hands

5. Slowly add mixture, a little at a time you will not need all the mixture. Keep mixing with hands this will be very sticky it WILL stick to your hands and WILL NOT leave the mixing bowl when pulled. Photo 2

6. Rest mixture for 2 hours (room temp) it will double in size. Will become light and soft.

7. Heavily flour side board, Rub hands in oil and separate dough in 5 balls. photo 3

8. Press dough flat then pick up dough and toss between hands until dough has stretched to thickness of 2 - 4 mm. don?t worry if makes a hole practice makes perfect. Make into any shape you like.. Leave the rolling pin the cupboard they just don?t look right if you do. Add garlic or any other topping at this point. Photo 4


9. Preheat tava or heavy frying pan (maximum), place dough onto tava and heat for 2 Min's or until base has gone golden brown. Photo 5

10. Flip bread - brown the blisters, remove from heat brush with oil (add coriander optional). Photo 6

Enjoy Unclebuck!

[Unclebuck]

sorry pics 1,2,3,4 are here

[Unclebuck]

pic's 1,2,3,4

[ast]

That looks really great, unclebuck.  Interesting especially because I was just reading a forum about frying pans that mentioned using them for cooking naan as well as a few other types of flat bread.  It looks like great minds (theirs and yours--certainly not mine! think alike!

When I was visiting my mother, I noticed that she had a pizza stone.  I thought that this might be a useful thing to try with getting the proper crispness to naan as well.  It would certainly hold the heat better than a cookie sheet.

Our own naan experience was much like your earlier one.  We had some good results with yeast-based ones, but never got them quite done enough--even with the oven on full blast.  I think your method is likely to produce much more consistent results.

We don't have a tava, and I'd not heard of it before.  Ever tried whatever wikipedia's references to tava fry or tava masala mean?  I'm guessing you can use it similarly to a wok for quasi-stir-fry, but for the other, you just use it to make the final curry?

Thanks for sharing!

[Unclebuck]

That looks really great, unclebuck.  Interesting especially because I was just reading a forum about frying pans that mentioned using them for cooking naan as well as a few other types of flat bread.  It looks like great minds (theirs and yours--certainly not mine! think alike!

When I was visiting my mother, I noticed that she had a pizza stone.  I thought that this might be a useful thing to try with getting the proper crispness to naan as well.  It would certainly hold the heat better than a cookie sheet.

Our own naan experience was much like your earlier one.  We had some good results with yeast-based ones, but never got them quite done enough--even with the oven on full blast.  I think your method is likely to produce much more consistent results.

We don't have a tava, and I'd not heard of it before.  Ever tried whatever wikipedia's references to tava fry or tava masala mean?  I'm guessing you can use it similarly to a wok for quasi-stir-fry, but for the other, you just use it to make the final curry?

Thanks for sharing!

hi ast, firstly thanks... A tava or a tawa is a heavy flat side-less pan used by Asians for flat breads etc.. heres one on this link  http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRADITIONAL-INDIAN-IRON-CHAPATI-TAVA-TAWA-GRIDDLE-9INCH_W0QQitemZ290194530713QQihZ019QQcategoryZ98845QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Curry King]

Great pics UB those naans are looking good 

If it's any interest I got my tava on ebay and it's done me a treat, although I admit I have probabaly used it more to heat up packet naans  :-X

[Bobby Bhuna]

Thumbs up! I bet that took some washing up though !

[rallim]

Looks great...how much milk did you use?

cheers

[JerryM]

Many thank's UB very interesting post. I've settled over time on KD's but will try your's next as it looks much better and like the real thing.

i have cast iron frying pan which i use if it's raining. however i bought a gas BBQ a few years ago (they are simply brill - i leave outside my kitchin door and use all year round). The difference it makes in cooking Nans is quite a suprise compared to the cast iron pan.

I also use caster sugar which gives it a much sweeter taste than normal sugar.

One question though which i have not been able to decide on myself - do they need the egg in?

[Cory Ander]

will try your's next as it looks much better and like the real thing

Sorry guys, but BIRs are unlikely to use yeast and wait for the bread to prove.  Self-raising flour and/or baking powder are far more likely

One question though which i have not been able to decide on myself - do they need the egg in?

I asked this question of a baker friend of mine (cos I specify an egg in my recipe and I started to wonder why!).  She said that it binds the ingredients and makes for a lighter bread.