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Author Topic: Nan breads at home  (read 19,185 times)

AI Summary
The discussion focuses on the challenges of making BIR-quality naan bread at home, with various members sharing their experiences and recipes. Many contributors emphasize the importance of using a hot tava or grill for cooking, and opinions vary on the inclusion of egg in the dough, with some preferring recipes without it to avoid a cake-like texture. Overall, the community consensus leans towards using a hot cooking surface and experimenting with different recipes to achieve the desired naan texture, while also noting that naan is not commonly made at home in India.

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Offline Mark J

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Nan breads at home
« on: December 10, 2005, 01:26 PM »
Has anyone been able to consistantly produce BIR quality nan breads at home, using a conventional oven/grill/pan (before you jump in Pete? ;D)

The few times I have tried they tend to turn into scones.

If you have can you detail the recipe, and probably more importantly the technique you use.

My local's plain nans are gorgeous, not bery doughy at all, crispy in some places, and thats what Im trying to replicate

cheers

ps and also can you freeze the dough?
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Offline pete

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2005, 05:22 PM »
Sorry Mark
               I just had to say something
The dough can be kept happily in the fridge covered by cling film or a plastic bag
I don't know how long for though
Before cooking, you must let it warm up a little first
See?
I never mentioned tandoor once!
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Offline traveller

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2005, 05:26 PM »
I can say I tried the one in the Balti Kitchen video but it was inedible due to the egg that went into it!! The kitchen stank of egg while it cooked and it did not rise.  I am sure they do not use egg in most of the restaurants because otherwise people who dont eat egg, that is many indians, would not be able to stand it!!
So I am saying that I have eliminated the Balti Kitchen one as a possibility to making good nan.
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Offline pete

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2005, 09:06 AM »
Strange as it seems, all the recipes I have include egg except the ones by Pat Chapman.
The ones without egg can an end up like a biscuit, and the ones with egg can end up like a cake.
I've just bought two packs of naan from my local asian shop.
They are really nice if you microwave them
They are soft and very tasty
A real comfort food in this weather
The ingredients are:-
wheat flour, water, milk, yoghurt, oil, raising agents, egg, salt, veg fat, yeast, onion seeds and sugar.
I don't put yeast in mine.
You can cook naans using a "tava"
This is a flat metal frying pan which has no sides
You always cook without oil
You superheat the tava on your cooker, and cook one side of the naan
You then transfer the naan to your preheated grill, to do the top
I've had some very good results
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Offline Mark J

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2005, 10:28 AM »
Quote from: pete on December 11, 2005, 09:06 AM
You can cook naans using a "tava"
This is a flat metal frying pan which has no sides
You always cook without oil
You superheat the tava on your cooker, and cook one side of the naan
You then transfer the naan to your preheated grill, to do the top
I've had some very good results
Excellent, cause I ordered one last week  ;D
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Offline raygraham

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2005, 10:42 AM »
Hi All,

I have used a Tava for years and it's made of cast iron.

I haven't made Naan's on it but for Chappatti's it is superb. Heat it dry on very high , slap on the Chappatti and it cooks on one side in about a minute. I then part cook the other side then plonk it on an open gas flame for a few seconds. It puffs up straight away and makes the texture lighter. You use an open mesh round spautula to hold it on the flame.
Tava's are quite good for frying eggs on too!

I have a good Naan recipe from a Madhur Jaffrey book which I have used a lot. It produces nice fluffy bread in an ordinary oven. I will dig it out and post it.
Ray
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Offline naga dave

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2005, 09:58 AM »
   Hi there, my first post, so here goes.
             I get excellent results using a tarva, it didn't occur to me that anyone else would be doing the same, or even be interested. Secret is to get the tarva REALLY HOT, slap the nan on, and put the whole thing under a really hot grill. It's done when the first brown spots appear. Nan should be thin, stretch it by hand until no more than 1/8 inch thick, a bit thicker at the edges. Uneven is best. If everything is right, it will start to bubble within seconds.
             Fresh made keema nan tastes spectular! Use about 3 oz of seek kebab for 4 oz of dough. Just fold it in, make a ball,roll out flat and stretch by hand.
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Offline blade1212

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2005, 12:18 PM »
Naga Dave, can you post your dough recipe pls. thanks.
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Offline traveller

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2005, 12:37 PM »
My tawa has a large wooden handle - is it ok to stick the tawa under the grill with the handle sticking out?  And we do grill with the door open right?  Never used a "grill/broiler" here before.  Thanks.
I would also love the nan recipe.  I have noticed that most nan recipes have eggs in it and when i buy packaged nans onc ein a while, I can tell which ones have egg in it.  I never felt that in a restaurant's nan.  Next time I go int a restaurant,  will ask about egg in the nan.  I will tell them it makes me sick to smell egg from the nan and I heard a rumor they were using egg - I am 100% sure they will confirm for me they dont use egg.

payal
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Offline Ashes

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Re: Nan breads at home
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2005, 02:08 PM »
The best results I have had making Nan's is from the KD book, there are two recipes there, cant remember which was the best, I use strong bread white flour with fresh instead of dried yeast, yogurt, egg and a little water, salt and sugar. I use a bread making machine to knead the dough but if you own a  Kenwood thats even better. Give it plenty of time to rise and then some more time, infact as long as the dough doesn't dry out, the longer the better. The longer it stands the less sweet it will be because the yeast use the sugar energy (if you like sweet nans add a little extra sugar). Once the bread is made into Nan shapes I leave them a little longer and let them rise slightly (covered).
Shove them in on the hottest oven setting (I put them directly onto the grill rack)and watch them balloon up, almost like puris, whip them out  and brush them with melted butter or ghee, cover them in a teatowel to keep them warm. Viola!
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