Food Lorists: Naan Bread

Naan Bread

Labels: Recipes Posted by Yann_Chef on at 1:54 p.m.

Naan is a staple accompaniment to hot meals in Central and South Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, India, Tadjikistan and the surrounding region. In Turkic language (such as Uzbek and Uyghur) the bread is known as nan. In Burmese, naan is known as nan bya. The first recorded history of Naan can be found in the notes of Amir Kushrau (1300 AD) as naan-e-tunuk (light bread) and naan-e-tanuri (cooked in a tandoor oven) at the imperial court in Delhi. Naan was in Mughal times a popular breakfast food, accompanied by qeema or kabab, of the royals. Naan bread is usually cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tava. Naan bread comes into a lot of different flavours, Keema naan is stuffed with a minced meat mixture (usually lamb or mutton); peshwari naan and Kashmiri naan are filled with a mixture of nuts and raisins; aloo naan is stuffed with potatoes. Possible seasonings in the dough include cumin and nigella.

1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk (works well with soya milk too)
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

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