Spiced Naan Recipes

INDIAN SPICED TOMATO SOUP WITH CHEESY NAAN

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the cilantro stems, 1 tablespoon garlic, the ginger and coriander. Cook, stirring, until the coriander seeds begin to pop, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring, until juicy, about 2 minutes.
• Add 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garam masala. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon garlic and 1/4 teaspoon garam masala in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place the naan on a baking sheet; brush with the butter and broil until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and continue broiling until melted, 30 more seconds. Fold each piece of naan, then cut each in half.
• Divide the soup among bowls and top with the cilantro leaves. Serve with the naan.

NAAN RECIPE (ON STOVE TOP AND OVEN)

Steps:

• If using Active dry yeast : In a bowl take ¾ cup of warm water. Dissolve yeast and sugar in it. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes or till yeast activates and becomes frothy.
• If using Instant dry yeast : Skip above step.
• Take flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and instant dry yeast in a bowl. Mix well.
• Add oil and mix it with your fingertips.
• add yogurt, again mix.
• now start kneading the dough by adding warm water (or frothy yeast mixture in case of active dry yeast).
• make smooth and soft dough.
• Apply some oil to the dough and also the sides of the bowl. Cover it with kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
• Let it rise in warm place for about 3-4 hours or till it gets double or triple in size.
• Punch it down with your hand. Give it a single knead to make it smooth.
• Divide into 8 equal portions and make smooth balls.
• preheat the oven to the maximum temperature of your oven for about 20 minutes (Mine is 450 degree F). Also put your cast iron pan or pizza stone in the oven on top rack and let it get preheat as well.
• now roll it using rolling pin and board into oval shape of about 5-6 inch size.
• Roll couple of naans and arrange them on a plate and keep them covered.
• brush the top part with some water.
• Once oven is pre-heated. Carefully place it (water side down) on the pan.
• Because the pan is already hot, you will see nice bubbles right away.
• Close the oven door and turn on the oven broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• After 3 minutes, Look at them. They are partially puffed and browned so well. Remove it to a plate using tongue.
• Apply some butter on top and serve.
• After making 2-3 batches, Pan or stone gets cool down a bit. So let it heat again at maximum temperature for 5-10 minutes.
• Once it gets hot and start making rest of them.
• Put the tawa or pan on medium high heat and let it get nice and hot.
• Once the pan or tawa is hot. Place the it (water side down). As we are cooking on medium high heat, you will get bubbles right away.
• cook for a minute, you will see it is partially puffed up.
• flip it and cover the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on other side.
• If it starts to burn quickly, adjust the heat. After making 2-3, wait for few minutes to get the tawa nice and hot again.
• Repeat the same for rest of the naan

NAAN

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside until it begins to froth, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour with the salt in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Make a well in the center and add the yeast-mixture, yogurt, ghee or butter, warm milk and lemon juice, if using. Mix well with your fingers until it forms a sticky or shaggy dough. Add more flour if too shaggy or a little water if too dry.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a larger lightly-oiled bowl, tightly cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place, such as an unlit oven, until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• If using a pizza stone/steel: An hour before baking, put a pizza stone or steel on the lowest oven rack and preheat to 500 to 550 degrees F. If using a cast-iron skillet/griddle, just before baking, heat the skillet or griddle on the stove over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Put some melted ghee or butter in a small bowl. Add the remaining flour to another bowl.
• Divide the dough into 8 balls. Dab each ball in flour, flatten on a lightly floured surface and stretch or roll into an oval shape, thinner in the center and slightly thicker on the sides. Don't worry too much about the shape; I love making various countries when I make my naan! Dust off any extra flour. Brush some ghee or butter on the top of each and sprinkle with nigella seeds if using (add a little more than you want as you will lose a bunch while charring).
• Transfer the stretched naan onto the hot stone or skillet. Cook until you see some bubbles on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Take it out with tongs and flash-cook over an open flame, turning it so that it gets a few brown charred spots on both sides. Spread with a generous pat of butter/ghee and serve hot. Repeat with the remaining naan.

SPICY NAAN

Steps:

• Proof yeast in 1/2 cup of the water: mix the water and the yeast and teaspoon of flour in a cup; cover and let sit until it's bubbly and active (5- 10 minutes).
• Mix the yeast/water, the milk and the rest of the water in a large bowl.
• Stir in 2 cups of flour (always stir in the same direction) until smooth.
• Add the salt, oil and cumin seeds and stir well.
• Add the remaining flour 1/2 a cup at a time until the dough is too stiff to stir.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board.
• Knead well, until the dough is springy; only add enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the board.
• Let dough rise in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with plastic, in a cool place for a few hours (warmer rising spot= shorter rise; I prefer leaving it longer).
• When the dough has risen to about double its original size, knead it down.
• Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
• I use unglazed quarry tiles in my oven when I make naan, attempting to mimic the tandoor ovens that are supposed to be used.
• If you don't have baking tiles, just use a baking sheet (I guess).
• Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and form them into balls.
• Brush the top of each ball lightly with melted butter or ghee and let it sit for about 20 minutes before shaping (by the time you've formed the last ball, the first one has usually sat long enough).
• Shape and bake naan two at a time: first smoosh the ball down flat with your fingers, then stretch it out into an oval shape.
• Transfer to the oven using a baking peel, or some other lightly floured thing you can use to slide the breads into the oven.
• Bake for about 6 minutes, or until puffy and getting brown.
• Yum!