Actually it works fine. I'm very quick at sticking the naan so there is no time for the beachball to melt - in and out in a jiffy (ask my wife).

The only one I have tried is the Lamb Malabar, Garp. It was quite a dry sauce with a lot of coconut in it. Quite hot.  Most of the Southern Indian restaurants I have eaten in were vegetarian though.  Idlis, Uppams, Dhosa, Vadai - mmmmm.  We used to eat the stuff for late breakfast on a Sunday when I lived in South London.
Be interested to find out more about those dishes if you try them.
Cheers,
Tim

Success! One of my son's friends left a small beachball so I nicked it and wrapped it in a tea towel - makes a perfect naan cushion.  I have hidden it now!

I have one of those contraptions that Sue28 posted in the video. It's brilliant and I have ended up sharpening knives for other people including a local butcher! Dangerous though - it puts a razor edge on.  A couple of months ago I got back from a convivial drink with a neighbour who makes his own "pineau" (also used to power French space rockets) and decided to chop up some onions ready for the next day (as you do). I forgot how sharp I had made my favourite knife and amputated the end of my finger. I am only just starting to play guitar again.
Beware.

I hesitate to pile in with yet more advice on this epic thread. but here goes.....

- we use both yeast and baking powder. The yeast is not so much for aeration - it does something to the texture
- allow about 1 level tbsp sugar and 1 tsp baking powder per naan - it should be a very sweet dough
- add oil to the dough. About 1 tsp per naan.
- never work with a dry dough; it should be almost too wet to handle
- 3 hours before cooking, split the dough into balls about the size of a snooker ball. Rub the balls of dough in oil, put them on an oiled tray, cover with a towel and leave to prove for a couple of hours in a really warm place. This is essential.
- when ready to cook, pin them out quite thin. A thick naan won't work.

If you don't have a tandoor, use the technique described elsewhere on this forum of sticking them to a tawa over a high flame, waiting for the to bubble up, and then turning the whole thing upside down over the flame.  Don't be afraid of blackening the naan in places - this is a sign that it has reached the required temperature.

Cheers,

Tim

This is actually a Moroccan snack, but it's essentially mini stuffed parathas. These are so good that I need to cook twice as many as required, because they have a way of disappearing on the way to the table. And they are a doddle to make.

Reghaif (pronounced "Mini Stuffed Parathas")

Note:you could substitute keema for the filling

SERVES 12 as a snack

1 fist-size portion of naan dough, ready to use (or a white bread dough would work fine)

For the filling:
250g mince (I used 50:50 beef and lamb)
1 chef's spoon finely-chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin (grind it fresh - it makes a huge difference)
2 tsp ground coriander
Salt to taste (I used quite a lot - about 1 tsp)
? tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. In a saucepan, fry the filling ingredients in a little oil until brown. Add 200ml water and cook down, stirring, until dry. Blitz to a rough paste. Chill in fridge.
2. Make a snake of the dough and chop it into small rounds - enough to make a ball no bigger than a squash ball.
3. Pin out the balls of dough into thin circles.
4. Put a generous spoon of the filling in each circle, leaving enough free edge to fold over the sides so they overlap. Then fold over the ends. The filling should be completely encased - no holes.
5. Turn over the parcels and flatten gently, taking care not to break them open. They should be rough rectangles.
6. Fry in oil - either shallow fry in 1 cm turning a few times, or deep fry at 175C. They should be golden and bubbly, not black.

Slice each parcel into two and serve.

Haha Garp!
Thanks for the link ELW. I had already tried that one - I should have added that I am trying to find one that will ship to France.  But I'm still drawing a complete blank (other than several offers of 16 foot container loads on alibaba) so I'm off to google leatherette cushions!
Cheers,
Tim
PS a large whoopee cushion would be ideal

Cheers Chewy - that is pretty much what I have been doing.
And thanks for all the advice of what to put into google. Without a word of a lie I tried all that and was getting sweet FA.  Maybe it's my keyboard skills...I'll try again in the morning.
Off now to rip up more T-shirts.
Tim

Does anyone know where I can get one of those naan cushions you see tandoori chefs using? I can't find one online and I'm fed up wrapping up old T-shirts and then having to wash them.  The ideal would be a waterproof stuffed pad with a removable and washable outer covering.
Cheers,
Tim

This is our Chicken Rezala, which I think fits the description of the requested recipe. Rezala is from Kolkata/Calcutta, in West Bengal. The ?real? version, which is quite runny, is made with curd yoghurt and ground nuts and is slightly sweet.  In British Restaurants is has morphed into a variety of versions, and I?d be interested in your descriptions of how it is done locally.

Our version is creamy, sweet and hot, flavoured with rosewater. The nuts have been replaced with coconut. Yoghurt is used to give it a slight acidity. A lot of restaurants use tikka chicken, but we use plain pre-cooked chicken and instead add tandoori masala and red colouring to the sauce.

Chicken Rezala
FLASH FRY
1 ladle seasoned oil (you can use oil that has been used to fry bhajis)
1 chef?s spoon finely chopped onion
1 tbsp red pepper finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic/ginger mix [50-50, finely chopped with veg oil stirred through]
DRY SPICES
1 tsp mix powder
1 tsp good curry powder (we use Bolst)
1 tsp tandoori masala powder (or use tikka masala paste)
1 tsp chilli powder
? tsp paprika powder
? tsp ginger powder
? tsp garam masala
? chef?s spoon sugar
1 tsp tomato paste (pur?e blended 50-50 with water)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS
2 ladles gravy/grabbi
+++
1 pinch dried methi leaf
? chfsp coconut milk powder
+++
200ml unsweetened evaporated milk
+++
Red food colouring (optional)
11 pieces pre-cooked chicken
1 tbsp yoghurt
+++
Sprinkle fresh coriander leaf, chopped
A few drops of rosewater (use sparingly)
METHOD
1. Get the oil very hot in a chef?s pan or wok. Add the FLASH FRY ingredients and stir fry on a high heat until just taking colour.
2. Off the heat, add the DRY SPICES and work them into the oil.
3. Back on the heat, stir fry for about 10 secs.  Don?t undercook the spices.
4. Deglaze the pan with a ladle of gravy. Add the methi and coconut powder. Stir on a high heat until starting to crust. Add more gravy.
5. Add the condensed milk. Bring back to the boil, stirring.
6. Add the red food colour (if using) and stir in well.
7. Add the chicken and the yoghurt. Stir in and cook on until the sauce is thick and the chicken hot through.
8. Add the coriander and rosewater. You can finish with a tsp of ghee or butter if you like. Serve.