Delicious, fluffy and healthy naan recipe
Make fluffy, delicious and healthy naan at home with this easy recipe.
Naan is a type of flat bread. Traditionally, it is baked inside a very hot clay tandoor oven with charcoal or wood fire. The naan is stuck to the inside of the oven.
The tandoor oven can reach very high temperatures, up to 900°F, which fills the inside of the flat bread with air pockets and bakes them to perfection.
This home-made naan recipe can be made at home with a hot cast-iron skillet on the stove stop. It can also be baked in the oven.
The naan will look soft and puffy with beautiful golden-brown spots, and taste just like the naan served in Indian restaurants.
Frequently asked questions about naan:
Q: Is naan healthy?
A: Yes, it is super healthy.
Q: How many calories does naan contain?
A: It contains only 128 calories per serving.
Q: Is this recipe vegan?
A: This recipe is not vegan as it contains yoghurt. However, eggs are not used.
Q: Where does naan originate from?
A: It originates from Iran and is a staple food in many middle eastern countries and Indian subcontinent countries. However, each country has its own version of the bread.
Q: What is the difference between roti and naan?
A: The difference is in the ingredients. Roti is made with whole wheat flour without yeast, whereas naan is made with all-purpose flour and yeast is needed to make the dough.
Fret not, making naan is easy with this step-by-step recipe!
Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/4 oz active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• some oil, for greasing the skillet
• 3 tablespoons melted salted butter
Method
• In a small bowl, add sugar, warm water and yeast. Stir to combine well. The yeast should be activated once it becomes foamy in about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the flour to a flat surface and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast mixture, yoghurt and oil. Knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place. The dough should double in size, about one hour.
• Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Roll the dough to an eight inch circle using a rolling spin.
• Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to prevent the dough from sticking. Place the dough on the hot skillet.
• When the dough puffs up, bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side.
• Repeat the process until all the dough is done. Brush the naan with melted butter, and serve warm. Naan tastes great with Indian curries.
Note
If the dough is sticky, add two more tablespoons of flour to bind the dough.
This article first appeared in rasamalaysia.com
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Low Bee Yinn is a food blogger and cookbook author.