Recipes From

The Indian SubContinent

Servings:

8

Yield:

8

Prep Time:

45 min

Cook Time:

4 to 7 hrs

Total Time:

5 to 8 hrs

 

Naan

Naan is a leavened flatbread, traditionally oven-baked in a tandoor (cylindrical clay oven that opens at the top). It comes out soft and pillowy with a crispy outside. It is topped with Ghee (a dark clarified butter) just before serving. It is so different that other flatbread in an amazingly undefinable way. In India, it is used as much as an eating utensil as a food accompaniment. Indian food is so rich and so flavorful that you don’t want to leave a drop, and Naan lets you sop up every bit of the sauce, and you can use it you pick up vegetables and meats as well. It is so amazing you will wonder why we ever invented the fork and spoon.

Imperial

Metric

Ingredients

3 cup Flour plus
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tsp Salt
⅔ cup water
⅔ cup yogurt
2 tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons ghee

Ingredients

3 cup Flour plus
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tsp Salt
⅔ cup water
⅔ cup yogurt
2 tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons ghee

Mise en place (Preparation) Click here • Measure out flour• Measure out baking powder• Measure out water• Measure out yogurt• Measure out yeast• Measure out salt• Measure out sugar• Measure out ghee Directions Mix the water and yogurt, and sugar in a bowl.  Warm liquid to lukewarm and add the yeast and whisk together. Add the olive oil and whisk again.  Let this mixture sit until it bubbles and foams vigorously.In a stand mixer, put about half of the flour with the mixing blade.  Add liquid mixture to the flour bowl and begin to mix at low speed. Increase speed to medium until the mixture gets “spider webby” and “stringy.”  Slowly add the remaining flour, no more than 1/4 cup at a time, and gradually reducing to a few tablespoons at a time.  Let the mixture thoroughly blend between adding flour sessions.  When the mixture starts to become more dough-like, switch to the dough hook. Stop adding flour when the dough pulls away from the bowl’s sides and form a dough ball on the hook. Knead the dough into a smooth ball and brush lightly with oil. Place back into the clean bowl and cover with a slightly damp towel (a paper towel will work just fine). Let rise until doubled in size. Punch down.  Divide into eight pieces and knead into balls. Repeat the rising procedure until it has risen.  Roll into 8-inch disks. Let rest for 5 min and roll out to 1/4th inch and let rest 10 minutes.  Place in a hot cast iron pan and cook until it starts to bubble.  Flip and cook for 30-45 seconds. Flip until balloons completely and freckles.  Flip and cook until highly freckled, put in an air-tight container, cover with a slightly damp paper towel, and seal the container. Refrigerate for several hours and up to two days.Roll 40 grams of dough into a ball.  Flatten into a disk in your hands. On a lightly floured surface and with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the disk into an oblong shape. It should be a little over 1/8th of an inch.Heat a comal or flat cast iron pan to medium-high heat.  Lightly oil the upside of the Naan. Pick up the Naan, oil side down.  Using the backs of your hands, stretch just slightly.  Wet the backside (un-oiled side) of the Naan with water. This will cause the Naan to stick to the pan. This is important.  Lay the Naan down on the pan water side down, starting at one side and working across the pan.  The Naan will begin to bubble.  When the Naan is covered with bubbles and the underside has started to brown, remove it from heat.If you are using a gas stove, flip the pan upside down and holding the pan a foot or so above the flame, move the pan around and cook the Naan. Keep a close eye on the Naan and frequently move the flame to keep from burning.If you are not using a gas stove, you can use a Brule torch.  This is my preferred method.  Keep the flame moving and adjust height and flame intensity to get the Naan brown without burning.The Naan will form large and frequent bubbles. Remove from pan and brush with Ghee and lightly salt.Customize
•Just before rolling the naan dough out you can add:
• fresh chopped garlic
• roasted cumin seeds
• chopped Cilantro
•After cooking, top the Naan with:
• Garlic Ghee
• chopped Cilantro
Substitutes
• Clarified butter for Ghee. You will loose the nuttiness and some of the depth.
Notes:

Return to The Indian Sub-Continent


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How to Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHOmBV4js_E