Naan recipe:  

Naan is undoubtedly one of the best and more versatile flatbreads within the Indian diet. Naan is soft, pillowy, but slightly chewy, making it a great accompaniment to all sorts of curries and tandoori dishes or scooping a variety of dips. Naan originated in Central Asia but has been adopted in India for thousands of years and is enjoyed worldwide. The magic in the naan is undoubtedly in its texture-light, airy, but just the right crunch on the outside. Naan can be prepared in a standard oven or stovetop; it’s not tandoori cooking, but accessible, delectable bread for home cooks.

We’re going to walk you through making naan step by step. This recipe is irrelevant of the fact you’re a one-time or aged-time baker, which will serve the purpose and produce soft-yummy naans which you can hardly resist changes made in their own way into meal preparation processes.

History Brief of Naan

It originated in Indian Subcontinent at some old, faraway Persia and in the Central region. Naan was obtained from the Persian word “non,,”. The word originally translated to bread. It is said that it was introduced by the Mughals who brought in this technique of baking bread with the help of a tandoor-an earthen pot that uses extreme heat to cook. Over time, naan has become staple in Indian food and changes according to tastes and preferences of all the regions.

Normal naan, it so happens is baked in the tandoor. Of late, of course, people rely on oven baking or on top of the stove, close approximations as these may well turn out to the tandoor-cooking style. The very oven-stove is perfect company to dal or kebabs, even as the likes of butter chicken deserve this ‘comfort food.’

Naan Ingredients

You can make naan with some very simple, few ingredients. Most of these you probably already have in the pantry. Now, here is what you would need:

For the Dough:

• All-purpose flour 3 cups. I know most would prefer using the combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour in case they go for the healthy version.
• Instant yeast 1 teaspoon
• Sugar 1 teaspoon. This is needed to activate yeast.
• Salt, 1 teaspoon. These make dough savory
• Baking powder, half a teaspoon so that dough might be puffed up
  Warm milk, 1/2 cup so yeast is activated as well as making dough soft
  Warm water, 1/4 cup. Just add just enough for it to not become too thick.
  Yogurt, 2 tablespoons. Yogurt helps when in soft, dough is more sour.
  Oil or melted butter, 2 tablespoons for an added flavor for the dough.
  Ghee or butter- to drizzle at the end of cooking the naan
  Nigella seeds, kalonji: 1 tsp mixed into the dough to a flavor like that of onion; use only on naan making
  Garlic: mince 2 – 3 garlic cloves for using in garlic naan
  Cilantro – sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro on top, or fold this into the dough as you’re mixing.
  You can add shredded cheese to the dough, fold it, or sprinkle grated cheese on the naan when baking to make cheese naan. Put it in the oven.

How to Make Naan Step-by-Step 

1. Mixing Dough

1. Activate the Yeast: In a small bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and instant yeast. Stir gently to dissolve the yeast, then let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy. If the yeast doesn’t bubble or foam, it may be expired, and you’ll need to start with a fresh batch.
2. Dry Ingredients Mix: Throw all those ingredients together-flour, salt, baking powder-in one big bowl, to make sure that everything gets a good coverage. While doing so, add nigella seeds or a dash of garlic powder, if making naan.
3. Wet Ingredients: After the yeast mixture froths, add it to the dry ingredients along with yogurt and oil or melted butter. Mix everything together properly so that the mixture begins to take a dough shape.
4. Knead the dough Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5-7 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. It must be soft but not sticky. If too sticky, add little flour. If dry, add little warm water a tablespoon at a time.
5. Proofing the Dough Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl cover with clean kitchen towel and put in warm place to rise for some about 1-1.5 hours till it double in size resting time where the dough rises and develops flavour.
   Step 2: Divide the Dough and Roll
6. Punch Down the Dough Let it rise and then punch down so that there are no air pockets. Spread it out on a clean counter and portion out equal small portions off of it, depending on desired size, but should yield approximately 8-10.
7. Shape your Naan Take the dough piece and with both your palms enclose it now roll out that dough ball, with a plain finish, in a rolling pin to make that same thing in a flat round about 6-8 inches diameter as possible of desired thin and thickness as well avoid to apply excess pressure while you applying the process which may change softness and break it.
8. Optional Toppings to Add On If using naan to make garlic bread, or should you be sprinkling the top with cilantro, grab some of your minced garlic or fresh cilantro and place some on the dough before making it into a ball again. Roll out once more to flatten it a bit. Press your rolling pin down on the dough lightly.

There are two methods to make naan. It can be cooked on the stovetop or in the oven. And now we’ll show you both.

Stovetop Method (Using a Non-Stick Skillet or Cast-Iron Pan)

1. Preheat the Skillet. Heat your heavy non-stick skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. You want to get the skillet hot before making the naan.
2. Cook the Naan: Lay rolled out naan in a skillet. The skillet is going to be very hot. Within 30-40 seconds, bubbles begin to form on the surface. You are going to see many of these forming; it’s a sign to flip it over and cook for another 1 minute for naan bread. For flavor as a smoky tandoor, you can flatten it lightly using the spatula at that point when it is in the pan or you simply drape a cover with a lid from your cookware collection. 3. Brush with Ghee: After the naan is cooked and golden brown on both sides, take it out of the pan and brush ghee or melted butter on it. This step gives flavor and soft, shiny texture to the naan.

Oven Method (On Pizza Stone or Baking Sheet)

1. Preheat your oven as hot as it will go; most ovens are set to about 500°F (260°C). If using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven and start heating the oven.
2. Bake the Naan: Roll out the naan, place it on a baking sheet or directly on a preheated pizza stone, and bake for approximately 3-5 minutes or until the naan puffs up and turns golden brown. Naan has to be turned in the middle for it to bake evenly.
3. Brush with Ghee Remove your naan from the oven and brush it with ghee or butter for flavor and richness.

Step 4: Serve the Naan
Your naan is baked or cooked now; serve it with a whole array of dishes:

Curries: butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, dal makhani, or any rich curry
Kebabs: Grilled lamb, chicken, or vegetable kebabs.

• Raita or Chutneys: It goes super with the cooling cucumber raita or a tangy mint chutney as a side.
  You can have naan as a standalone or as a wrap base for sandwiches.

Tips for Perfect Naan

• Use Warm Ingredients: Be certain that your milk and water are warm but not too hot. Liquids that are too hot can kill the yeast.
• Well Kneaded: The dough is supposed to absorb all the developed gluten which will give it a soft and chewy feel.
• Let the Dough Rest: If the dough does not raise well then one cannot get soft and airy.
• Do Not Overcook It: The Naan has to be soft and pillowy. Overcooking makes the naan too hard.
  Use ghee: Butter or oil can be used but ghee gives more taste to naan bread which brings in the authentic flavor.

Conclusion  

Probably the most fulfilling thing that you will ever have to do is making naan at home. You can easily make soft, tasty naan using just a few ingredients and good technique, like your favorite Indian restaurant, and you can even cook it in the skillet or bake it in the oven. Naan is a very versatile bread which goes with anything.

Next time you want that fresh, creamy taste and richness from freshly baked naan, just give this a shot. In no time you’ll be trying to get this naan- garlic naan, butter naan, stuffed naan you might have always wished for, is knocking it right out of the park on your table!

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