Not a recipe request, this question's about the cooking step.

Every attempt I've made at Naan breads has ended up like an oversized Pitta bread.  Large, uniformly brown, very nice but nothing like a Restaurant Naan.  A recent attempt with a Pizza stone in a gas oven at max. temperature didn't work either.  And giving it a singeing afterwards with a blowtorch didn't fool anyone.

Be honest now, how many of your attempts have looked remotely like the BIR variety?

I notice one post earlier on, claiming success with an iron pan heated very hot.  Can anyone confirm this or offer any other advice?  Or is the simple answer that if you haven't got a proper Tandoor oven, you'll only ever get a large Pitta bread?

Can anyone tell me how all UK Indian restaurants manage to put that wonderful "smokey" taste into their Tarka Dhals?

Endless recipe books all fail to recreate that elusive smokey taste.? I've read the recipes posted on this site, and sadly they have nothing to add that I haven't tried before.? For the avoidance of doubt, browning garlic just creates a horrible taste but no smokiness.? Browning onion, even to the point of caramelisation, does not create smokiness either.

There is some "trick" known to every UK restaurant that no recipe book writer has ever recorded.? Does anyone out there know the answer, or am I damned to pour fried garlic & onions into my dhal, and live in disappointment?