Naan Recipe
Naan is a kind of soft Indian bread. It can be best enjoyed with any North Indian curries like chana masala, dal makhani, rajma, and many more. Although traditionally made in a clay oven, I have tried making it using both, a common griddle and a conventional oven with the 'broil' option. You can use any broiler to slow roast it. Also naan can be made plain, or with a flavor of garlic ('Garlic naan'). I made 'Garlic Naan' and have added pictures for it. But for 'Plain Naan', just omit the step of adding garlic and coriander, when rolling. Always serve a naan hot, straight from the oven.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 cups
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Dry active yeast - 3/4 tsp
- Sugar - 1/2 tsp
- Oil - 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp to apply to the dough after kneading
- Butter (Optional) - Melted, for greasing the naan when serving
- Garlic (optional) - 3 tbsp finely chopped
- Cilantro/Coriander leaves (optional) - 1-2 tbsp finely chopped
Instructions
- Dissolve 3/4 th tsp dry active yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar, in 1/8 th cup lukewarm water. Keep aside for 10 minutes. (This is called 'proofing' the yeast or checking to see if the yeast is still active.)
- After 10 minutes the yeast will become all bubbly and frothy. (If it doesn't, then throw away and try with another pack of the yeast.)
- Mix the all purpose flour with salt, and 1 tbsp oil.
- Add the frothy yeast to the flour.
- Use lukewarm water (about 1/2 -3/4 cup) to knead in to a soft dough.
- Apply 1/2 tsp oil on top and knead lightly again to make a smooth dough.
- Cover and keep in a warm place for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, the dough will rise and become softer.
- Knead once more lightly to make it even.
- Mix the chopped garlic and the chopped coriander leaves, and keep aside.
- Take a small portion, (about 2" big) of the dough, and roll in to a small circle.
- Sprinkle some chopped garlic and some chopped coriander leaves on it.(optional)
- (If making plain naan, omit step no. 11) Then fold the circle twice, first into half and then into quarter, to make a triangle.
- Roll it to make a thin circle less than 1/2 cm thick. You may also keep the shape triangular or oval while rolling, if you like. Use some all purpose flour for dusting, if required.
- Now roast the naan in a tandoor oven or on a flame as explained below.
- Transfer it to a hot griddle and roast on medium-high heat till the lower surface gets little brown spots all over.
- Now move the griddle aside and flip over the naan to a wired roaster. The unroasted side should face down. Now roast directly on flame on medium-high heat, till the lower surface also gets spots.
- Remove from the roaster, smear little melted butter on top (optional), and serve hot with any North Indian curry of your choice, like chana masala, dal makhani, or so on.
