Naan
नान - ਨਾਨ

Leaven, filled, grilled, white flatbread.

Klowunji (onion) seeds. Also known as 'Nigella' but not to be confused with real kali jeera
Klowunji (onion) seeds. Also known as 'Nigella'
but not to be confused with real kali jeera
Ingredients:

  • 200g strong white plain (bread making) flour.
  • Small handful of chopped coriander leaf
  • 1 heaped tsp of klowunji (onion) seed (Nigella)

...and for the yeast (see: 'Yeast Suspension' on how to make this)...

  • live yeast (packet dried will do if not available)
  • 1tsp sugar
  • water (boiled and cold - see recipe)

Method:

This bread doesn't take long to make and it is best eaten reasonably fresh - two days at the most - so we'll only make a small quantity here.

Next, make a total of around 300mls of the yeast suspension according to the recipe.

Dough, complete with onion seeds and chopped fresh coriander.
Dough, complete with onion seeds
and chopped fresh coriander.
Put the flour, onion seeds and chopped coriander in a bowl and mix together.

Put the dry mix in the microwave oven and give it a short blast of around 15 seconds, just enough to warm it up to around the same temperature as the yeast - this means that when you add the yeast mixture, it won't bring it to a halt by cooling it down - instead it will carry on reacting.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, a bit at a time until you have a dough of a reasonable consistency for making bread.

Let the dough relax once you have divided it up.
Let the dough relax once
you have divided it up.
Divide up the dough equally - there is enough here to make four, reasonable-sized naans - roll them into balls and put in the the bowl and cover with a clean, dry tea towel and leave it for 10 minutes to rise and let the dough relax.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Don't worry about the shape - it is supposed to be tear-drop shaped.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Don't worry
about the shape - it is supposed to be tear-drop shaped.
Flour your work surface and roll out one of the doughballs.

The shape doesn't matter here - they are usually tear-drop shaped. The only important thing is that it us uniformly thick.

In fact, you might want to consider making it the same shape and size as your lunch box.

Forget heating up an oven, these are easily cooked on a grill.
Forget heating up an oven, these
are easily cooked on a grill.
You can, if you want, fire up the oven and cook your naan in that but they are only thin and, in my humble opinion, cook better under the grill.

Fire up the grill and line the grill tray with some aluminium foil - shiny side up why not.

Put whatever you like on them and it makes a meal perfect.
Put whatever you like on them
and it makes a meal perfect.
Place one of your naan on it and grill it until it turns golden brown, just like in the picture.

Turn it over and cook the other side.

They only take a few minutes and it is not worth leaving them unattended as you will end up burning at least one of them if you do so.

They are too nice to not cook properly.

Eat them whilst they are still hot or let them cool down on the cooling rack before putting them in your lunch box.

They are soft but firm enough to tear up and use as a spoon for eating curry or dahl.

These are absolutely gorgeous. Use them as a spoon for curry or dahl.
These are absolutely gorgeous. Use
them as a spoon for curry or dahl.

Variations:

Add or substitute anything that you like:

  • Garlic
  • sesame seeds
  • flaked almonds
  • instead of onion seeds and coriander, use sultanas, various roast nuts and cover it with lemon icing. (Go on, try it)

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