Naan
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Naan is a traditional flatbread whose origins
stem from Central, West and Southeast Asia. It is a staple food for those who live in the Northern part of the region. Tandoori Roti is a type of naan and is usually made out of whole wheat flour. Naan can also be made from all-purpose flour and yeast, and is normally round in shape because of how it’s cooked. Traditional naan is cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor. Naan was first served as a breakfast food in the royal court in Delhi back in 1300 A.D.
Readily available in the United States, naan comes in many different flavors such as cheese stuffed (cheese kulcha), nuts and dried fruits (peshavri), garlic naan, lamb stuffed (keema), stuffed onion (onion kulcha) and chicken (chicken kulcha), just to name a few. The recipe below adds yogurt to the mixture. Michigan State University Extension says that yogurt helps soften dough and adds volume to the bread. This recipe yields six servings. Naan can also be made by using gluten free products.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of flour
5/8 baking powder
5/8 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cups of plain low-fat yogurt
Directions
- Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Stir in the yogurt until the dough is too stiff for a spoon, then knead it in the bowl until it holds together well, adding more flour if necessary.
- Turn it out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about five minutes until the dough feels smooth and elastic.
- Form the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rest for an hour.
- Take the dough out and cut into 10 equal pieces. Form each into a ball and press the balls flat into round discs.
- Heat a large frying pan or griddle.
- Heat your oven to about 500 degrees Fahrenheit and turn the broiler on.
- Take one piece of dough at a time and roll it out on a floured surface until its eight to 10 inches across and less than 1/4 inch thick.
- Lay it on the hot griddle and cook it over a medium heat for four to five minutes.
- It will puff up in places or all over and there will be some blackish-brown spots on the bottom.
- Slide a spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly on the rack for a minute or two, just until it puffs up into a balloon and begins to color slightly on the top.
- Remove the naan and brush with butter on top, if you prefer.
- Continue this way with all the dough, stacking the bread into a napkin lined basket.
- Serve the bread hot, fresh from the oven or let it cool and then wrap-up.
To reheat naan, use aluminum foil to wrap in packets of four or five pieces of bread and place in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes.
