Let’s be honest, the best part about going out for Indian food is using the soft, chewy naan bread as a dipping tool into the spicy, aromatic flavors of the chickpeas or curry. Now you can attempt to make your own at home. Here’s how;
Naan
Serves: 3
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes + 1 hour to rise
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of warm water
- ½ tsp. yeast
- ¼ tsp. sugar
- ¾ cup of flour
- ¼ tsp. of salt
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. of oil to oil a bowl
- ½ cup of flour to flour the rolling surface
- 1 tsp. of oil for brushing
Instructions:
Mix. If the yeast bubbles, it’s active and you can use this mixture. If it does not, you will have to start over. In a metal bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle.
Pour in the water, yeast, and sugar mixture as well as the oil. Gently knead the dough with your fingers until it becomes smooth. Form the dough into a ball.
Lightly oil a metal bowl. Place the dough in the metal bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it sit for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Option: Cook these for three minutes on a very hot grill. Once it has risen, divide the dough into 3 pieces. Gently roll the pieces out into oblong shapes on a lightly floured surface. On a lightly oiled baking sheet, bake them for about 12 minutes or until they become golden and
puffy. Option: Cook them for about 8 minutes and then hold them over a gas burner until they puff up.
Notes:
The actual labor time with this recipe is very little. However, it takes a long time to make because the dough needs to rise. While the dough is rising, work on the recipe or recipes with which you plan to the refrigerator. It should keep for several days. Complimentary Food and Drinks: This goes well with any sort of food that is soft like saag paneer or channa daal. Spices that go well cooked either in the naan or brushed on it are rosemary, cumin seed, fennel seed, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Some traditional naan recipes call for a couple tablespoons of yogurt and milk instead of the water, but not all of them do. If you want to add those, make sure to get plain soy yogurt and plain soymilk and add ¼ cup of flour to make up for the extra moisture of the yogurt. My favorite way to serve this, is, of course, with garlic! If you want the thinner versions that are served in some restaurants, just roll the naan out more until the dough is about the thickness of a nickel.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories 229
Calories from Fat 90
Fat 10 g
Total Carbohydrates 29 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Sugars n/a
Protein 5 g
Salt 166 mg
Interesting Facts
The first recorded history of naan is in 1300 A.D. by Amir Khusrau. Traditional naan is cooked in a tandoor (clay oven). Naan is not just a staple food in India, it is also served all over Central and Southern Asia.
via The Vegan Culinary Experience – Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick