Naan!

 

So, I’m not much of a photographer — the above image came from google images, not my own camera.  But I figured I’d share the recipe I tried for the first time today, which met with approval from the whole family.

 

 

1 3/4 cups unbleached self-rising flour, or all-purpose flour plus 2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

about 1/2 cup tepid water

melted ghee or butter

 

Mix the four and salt in a bowl.  Add the yogurt, then gradually work in the water, using your hands, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.  Knead the dough in the bowl for a few seconds until smooth, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

 

When ready to cook, heat the broiler to its highest setting, then heat the broiler pan.

 

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.  Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out each piece to an oval about 8 inches long and almost 1/2 inch thick.  Brush the surface very lightly with melted ghee or butter.

Put the naan on the hot broiler pan, in batches if necessary, and cook for about 30 seconds until puffy and speckled with brown spots.  Carefully turn over and cook the second side for 20-30 seconds, watching constantly.  Remove, brush lightly with melted ghee or butter, then serve warm as soon as possible.

 

 

I got this recipe from a library book a long time ago, photocopied it, and stuck it in a folder of “recipes to try” where it sat for ages, so I can’t tell you the source of the recipe.

 

The recipe also describes potential toppings, such as garlic or chili peppers, but I skipped this.

 

The 1/2 inch thick?  No — more like 1/4 or 1/8 inch thick in this recipe.  And I’m not sure about the broiler pan — maybe I’ll try a pizza stone next time.  You also have to watch this carefully or the brown spots become burnt spots.

 

But — yum! — it’s tasty and fast, with little kneading and virtually no bake time; the only effort was rolling them out to the right thickness.  I’ll definitely have to make this a couple more times — especially since I could only find plain yogurt in a big tub, so I have lots to use up.  (Anyone have any other recipes using plain yogurt?)