How To Make Yeasted Naan

After 3 long years, I'm finally going on a vacation to India. I have been trying hard to picture my little brother as not my 'little brother' but a teen boy whose voice has changed. And how much ever I try, I just can't picture it. My mom has been reporting white hair since a couple of years and how she has slowed down in her cooking ventures. I can't imagine how that can be. I only remember my mom as beautiful young and spirited woman with four young kids, managing to look that great and cook great new food every day.

My heart is filled with curiosity and a hope to find the old and a hope to find something new. I'm ready to finally face the changes that I have not been able to imagine. I'm equally nervous to see how different they find me. But I have a feeling that as much things change, they still remain the same. While I'm gone, some lovely friends will be sharing their talent and food on Journey Kitchen. I hope you shall be warm and stay around.

I prepared my entry for monthly mingle which I'm hosting weeks back. I knew I had to make the famous Indian yeasted flat bread - Naan. To me, naan should be puffy with crisp crust spotted with bits of smoked char that breaks open to reveal airy and slightly chewy and stretchy bread perfect for dunking in gravies and sauces.

But when David Lebovitz  recently tweeted asking about why some naan bread use baking powder, I decided to experiment with my own recipe by adding other leavening agents and see the difference. In theory adding baking powder, helps to leaven the bread when it’s baking while yeast leavens it before it cooks. But I added about 1/2 tsp of baking powder and noticed no difference. As for baking soda, the theory is baking soda should cut the acidity of yogurt and neutralize the flavor as well as help leaven the bread.  I decided to go with 1/8 tsp as baking soda can be strong. Now I could not make out any difference with this addition but M said it was slightly tender than the original. So I decided to make it again, this time without telling him which is which. And we didn't think baking soda made any difference either. Over the next few days, I kept experimenting so much M finally said 'I really think your naan bread is awesome, can we move on with life?'

I hope my torturing M will help you people make great naan bread at home. Here's also wishing everyone who celebrates a very happy and prosperous Eid. 

Yeasted Naan 

Makes 6 

Ingredients 

2 cups bread flour or strong white flour or all purpose flour*

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp active yeast

2 tbsp ghee

5 tbsp yogurt

1/2 cup lukewarm water

Things you need

A heavy bottom skillet with lid or Pressure cooker

Note

* I use bread flour whenever I have it around because it creates much better naan but when I don't all purpose flour works just fine. Sometimes I also use 1 cup chapati flour instead of all white flour for nuttier flavor.

Method

Mix the water, yeast and sugar and leave for 10 minutes for the yeast to come alive. It’s necessary that you don't get confused between a yeast that mixes and rises to the top and an yeast which actually proofs with bubbles of air forming. 

Add salt to the flour and keep aside. Once the yeast has proofed, add it to the flour along with yogurt and ghee. Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes. The dough may feel sticky at first, apply some ghee on your hand and keep kneading till it’s soft and supple. Keep it in a greased bowl covered with wet towel to rise. 

It may take any where between 2-3 hours to rise.





Once it rises, knead it for another 5 minutes and divide it into equal size balls. If you want to make garlic or cumin flavored naan, add it while kneading the dough at this point.

Roll each piece into a flat ball.





Dust the work surface with flour and start rolling the balls with a rolling pin.





After the intial rolling it become much easier to handle it with hands.

Try to give it a tear drop shape by stretching it from one end. Don't stretch too much as it may tear. 

Heat the pressure cooker or skillet on high heat for 3 minutes. Put this rolled naan on the skillet and cover with a lid. If using a pressure cooker, remove the whistle and tighten the lid. In less than a minute bubbles with pop up.  Reduce the gas to medium high, flip the naan on the other side and cook for few seconds till the bubbles char. Alternatively, with tongs take the naan and put the other side on an open flame to cook and char the bubbles. Naan cooks very quickly at this point so don't let it be on flame for more than 30 seconds. 

Brush immediately with butter and sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.


Remember about the "pack a bag'' campaign I posted about? It is started by a fellow friend blogger from Kuwait and I think it's a fabulous thought. Here's my bag (box). I actually had two, one which I gave away earlier during Ramadan and here's another. It's amazing how realize how much we have when you look at it from giving perspective. I hope it shall inspire you too a little something for the others too. I tried to really close into the picture so that you don't see the mess around it.