Naan bread

Naan is a round flatbread made of white flour. It’s usually leavened with yeast & cooks in a tandoor, or clay oven, from which tandoori cooking takes its name. This distinguishes it from roti which is usually cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tava. Modern recipes sometimes substitute baking powder for the yeast. Milk or yogurt may also be used to give greater volume and thickness to the Naan. Typically, the Naan will be served hot and brushed with ghee or butter. It can be used to scoop other foods, or served stuffed with a filling: for example: - Kashmiri naan is filled with a mixture of nuts & raisins; aloo naan is stuffed with potatoes. Possible seasonings in the dough include cumin & nigella seeds.

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Ingredients: -
2 cups Maida
1 tsp dry Yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp curd
¾ cup Luke warm water
1 tsp ghee 1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
¼ tsp Baking Soda

Sesame & coriander to sprinkle on the Naans

Method: -

1. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water & wait till the mixture becomes frothy. It should take around 10 minutes or so.

2. Add sugar, salt & baking soda to maida & mix well.

3. Add oil & yogurt.

4. By adding the water-yeast mixture little by little prepare a soft dough.

5. Knead well to get smooth dough.

6. Cover the dough & keep in a warm place for 5-6 hours. The dough should double in volume.

7. Heat the oven to 200 Deg C with a pizza stone / ceramic stone in it for thirty minutes so that the stone becomes hot too. Then set the oven to broil.

8. Knead the dough for about two to three minutes & divide the dough into equal parts.

9. Roll each part of the dough into circles which are around ¼” thick.

10. Before putting the Naan in oven, lightly wet hands & take the rolled Naan, & flip them between the palms & place on the ceramic stone into the oven.
11. Sprinkle sesame & coriander.
12. 2 or more Naans can be placed at a time on the ceramic stone.

13. The Naan will take about 3 - 5 minutes to bake, depending on the oven.

14. After the Naans turn golden brown in color take them out of the oven & apply with ghee.

15. Serve Naan with any Curry.

Care should be taken not to flatten the Naans too much while rolling like a roti. Else Naans will turn out to be really hard. They can be flipped around in the oven for the other side to broil, if desired.