Meera Sodha's Naan
I have always wanted to try making naan and thanks to my friend Kathleen gifting me the Essential New York Times Cookbook (revised version) I found the perfect recipe to go with Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric. Sunday evening, I had the time to give naan making a try and a backup package of naan from the grocery store in the freezer. This recipe was amazing and easy to follow. With a few tips and a hot sauté pan you will want to make naan instead of purchasing it in the future.
Ingredients
- 4 cups/500 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp neutral oil such as canola oil, plus one tsp more
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 packet active dry yeast 1/4 oz/7grams
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 1 cup/240 ml whole milk warmed
- 12 tsp butter for cooking
Instructions
- Put the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the 2 tablespoons oil to it, along with the yogurt, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder. Use your fingers to mis the ingredients until they resemble crumbs, then add the warm milk in splashes, mixing until it comes together in a dough.
- Put the dough on a lightly floured cutting board. It will be sticky. Flour your hands and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Form the dough in a ball, rub 1 tsp of oil over the dough and place it in a large bowl. Cover with a dish towel or saran wrap and pace in a warm spot to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. Do not move on to the next step unless your dough has doubled in size.
- Using a knife, divide the dough into 12 pieces. I cut the round down the middle and then made six cuts on each half. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and flatten it between your palms. Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll out into an oval about 5 by 8 inches.
- Place a large sauté pan over medium high heat and allow it to get hot. When your pan is hot, I added 1 tsp of butter and one naan cooking 40-50 seconds on the first side or until the naan begins to bubble, then use a spatula to flip it over to cook the other side for about the same amount of time, checking regularly to make sure that it does not burn. Flip the naan one more time and press on it slightly with your spatula for 10-15 seconds. Remove the cooked naan from the pan and place it on a warm platter. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Keep the finished naan warm in a low oven or wrap in foil until ready to serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!