# Oh forgot to tell you guys about the Naan



## Michael_Schaap (Dec 19, 2005)

Before I went to the hospital last week I made some INCREDIBLE Indian Naan! Wow it was so good. For those who do not know this is the flat bread that you get in Indian resturants. I just never thought it would come out so much like the real thing.

Here is what I did...

1/2 Cup White flour
1/4 Cup Spelt flour
2 TB Plain Yogurt
1/2 TB Olive oil (you could put less in)
(I put one package of splenda in it, but you dont have to)
Start with 1/4 Cup water and add SLOWLY (you dont want it too wet here)
Yeast

I put everything in the mixer and let the machine do it's thing for about 10 minutes with the dough hook. You don't want it too dry or too wet. Kinda like pizza dough. This won't seem like a lot of dough but it will give about a dozen 8 inch or so circles.


Let it rise in a nice warm spot till about double and punch down and kneed for a few moments.

You will now take a small piece and roll it on a well floured surface. The diameter of circle will depend on the pan you are using. I had a very large cast iron pan (the place I got the recipe said that the heavier the pan the better it is). You want this circle to be very thin though. So keep the surface floured and get it as thin as you can possibly make it.

Coat pan with olive oil or Pam (I used Pam) and get it hot. You want it very hot because this will cook quickly. Oh and one more thing. This will produce a certain amount of smoke. Get the fan on and possibly open up the door.

So when your circle (or circles as you should make several so you can pop them on the pan when they are done) is thin enough, drop one on the pan. Make sure the pan is real hot here. Soon as you put it on the pan it will start puffing up. When one side gets browned, toss it on the other side till they are both browned. Total on both sides could be in the 60 seconds area depending on how hot the pan is. When they are done toss them on a plate with some towels to absorb moisture.

Have fun!

Next time I'm gonna give it a bit of garlic (sucker for garlic).


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## texasgirl (Dec 19, 2005)

Never had it. Sounds wonderful though. Thanks for sharing!!


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## sarah (Dec 19, 2005)

Michael_Schaap said:
			
		

> Before I went to the hospital last week I made some INCREDIBLE Indian Naan! Wow it was so good. For those who do not know this is the flat bread that you get in Indian resturants. I just never thought it would come out so much like the real thing.
> 
> Here is what I did...
> 
> ...


 
 Michael! nothing like a piping hot nan right out of the pan or oven with some nice spicy pakistani ground beef curry with potatoes,yummmmmm....my all time fav meal...


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 19, 2005)

*We had sauted chicken with it... yum...*



			
				sarah said:
			
		

> Michael! nothing like a piping hot nan right out of the pan or oven with some nice spicy pakistani ground beef curry with potatoes,yummmmmm....my all time fav meal...


 
Sarah, this might not be the best place for it (no clue), but could you give recipe for the ground beef curry. I have bought curry and graham masalah (spl), but have not had much luck in making something that taste very good with them yet. (the book "1,000 Indian recipes" is comming my way though)

Do you have the same experience with the Naan cooking up real smoky or was I doing something wrong?


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## sarah (Dec 19, 2005)

Micheal! i have never tried making nans at home,back in my country,they are available so easily in every market place and they are insanely good,so i've never tried my hand at them,i have a recipe though (of oven baked nans),might try it someday.But i do make chapati a lot at home,if you know what a chapati is.Its a staple food of north india and Pakistan,its a flat bread made by flour too,but  its not puffy like nan,its thin and chewy,very very good,nothing like a home made chapati,and its very simple and quick to make too.
   i dont use store bought curry powders,i make my own curries and bhajis from scratch,they are always better tasting and not hard to make at all.i will poste a ground beef and potato curry for you in the meat section now!Enjoy!


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## billmac (Dec 19, 2005)

There's no yeast mentioned.  Is the yogurt the leavening agent?


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 19, 2005)

*Hmmm..... good question...*



			
				billmac said:
			
		

> There's no yeast mentioned. Is the yogurt the leavening agent?


 
I am not sure if it is the leavening agent, but there was actually no yeast in the recipe.  I am only guessing that it is as it did rise very well on it's own.

Anyone....?


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 19, 2005)

*Hmmm....*



			
				Michael_Schaap said:
			
		

> I am not sure if it is the leavening agent, but there was actually no yeast in the recipe. I am only guessing that it is as it did rise very well on it's own.
> 
> Anyone....?


 
I just looked at my notes.  It seems that I have two recipes..... one of them does say to add yeast.  Last week was really a bit of a haze for me, but if the Yogurt can not be a leavening agent that there was certainly yeast in the recipe since it did rise.  I edited the recipe above to show that there is yeast in it.  Thank you for the comment


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## jennyema (Dec 19, 2005)

You sure you just threw the yeast into the mixing bowl?  

It really doesn't work like that .....


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 19, 2005)

Here is where I got the original recipe:
http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/IndianNaanII.asp

I toned it down because I have just two people to cook for.  I also combined the one I have from a book (the one without the yeast) since it uses some Spelt and I have always wanted to try Spelt

I also did not use salt (dietary)


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## TomW (Dec 19, 2005)

billmac said:
			
		

> There's no yeast mentioned.  Is the yogurt the leavening agent?


There is now.   

Michael - It appears you have edited the original post.  How _much_ yeast is appropriate?

Thanks,
Tom


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 19, 2005)

The original recipe (look at previous reply as I found where I originally found the recipe) says 1ts (basicly a package), though I cut the recipe to about half.  So I more then likely put in about a half to 3/4 of a ts.  It rose very easily so I am still wondering if Yogurt is a leavening agent... hmmm...  When I was looking for where I got it from to site here, there was many recipes that did not say to add yeast so it appears to be made either way... perhaps the yeast helps it rise a little faster (as apposed to just Yogurt)?


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## Ishbel (Dec 19, 2005)

This is Madhur Jaffrey's recipe  for naan bread that I have used for many years - it comes from one of her earliest cook books, not sure of the title, because the cover has disappeared through years of use!  It comes out perfectly every time - as good as anything from our local 'Indian' restaurants (which are mainly run by Bangladeshis, but that's another story!) 

150ml hand-hot milk
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp dried active yeast
450g plain flour
0.5 tsp salt
1 tsp  baking powder 
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little extra
150ml natural yogurt, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Put the milk in a bowl. Add 1 tsp of the sugar, and the yeast. Stir to mix. Set aside for 15-20 minutes or until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is frothy. 

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 tsp sugar, the yeast mixture, 2 tbsp vegetable oil and the yogurt and egg. Mix and form a ball of dough. 

Empty the ball of dough on to a clean surface and knead it for 10 minutes or more, until it is smooth and satiny. Form into a ball. Pour about 0.25 tsp oil into a large bowl and roll the ball of dough in it. Cover the bowl with a piece of cling film and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in bulk. 

Pre-heat your oven to the highest temperature. Put the heaviest baking tray you own to heat in the oven. Pre-heat your grill. 

Punch down the dough and knead it again. Divide into 6 equal balls. Keep 5 of them covered while you work with the sixth. Roll this ball into a tear-shaped naan, about 25cm in length and about 13cm at its widest. Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and slap the naan on to it. Put it immediately into the oven for 3 minutes. It should puff up. Now place the baking tray and naan under the grill, about 7.5-10cm away from the heat, for about 30 seconds or until the top of the naan browns slightly. Wrap the naan in a clean tea towel. Make all the naans this way and serve hot.


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## jennyema (Dec 20, 2005)

Michael_Schaap said:
			
		

> The original recipe (look at previous reply as I found where I originally found the recipe) says 1ts (basicly a package), though I cut the recipe to about half. So I more then likely put in about a half to 3/4 of a ts. It rose very easily so I am still wondering if Yogurt is a leavening agent... hmmm... When I was looking for where I got it from to site here, there was many recipes that did not say to add yeast so it appears to be made either way... perhaps the yeast helps it rise a little faster (as apposed to just Yogurt)?


 

If it didn't have yeast, it probably had baking soda or baking powder.  I haven't seen a naan recipe that didn't have either yeast or baking soda/powder.  But then I haven't made it more than once or twice.

I don't think yogurt alone will act as a good enough leavening agent.  You would need the acid in yogurt to act in tandem with baking soda to act as a leavening agent.


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 20, 2005)

*Ok that settes it for sure.*



			
				jennyema said:
			
		

> If it didn't have yeast, it probably had baking soda or baking powder. I haven't seen a naan recipe that didn't have either yeast or baking soda/powder. But then I haven't made it more than once or twice.
> 
> I don't think yogurt alone will act as a good enough leavening agent. You would need the acid in yogurt to act in tandem with baking soda to act as a leavening agent.


 
It certainly did contain yeast then. Baking powder and soda has too much sodium in it for me to use now so these would have not been used.

The recipe that Ishbel replied with is very similar though with the exception of the added sodium and cholesterol (from the egg).

Thanks for the thought on the Yogurt! I have been searching for an answer and so far I have come up with just what you had said...yogurt by itself is not a leavening agent.


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