naan

yummy! easy naan

in America as far as i noticed, in restaurant bread menu section naans are pretty much everybody's favorite choice. i never attempt to make them at home, i used to make a lot of excuses saying my self that, i needed a hot tandoor to make or i must be super expert naan maker to make those fluffy flat breads. i was wrong!! and now i know that i don't have to be super expert to make them!! they are so easy!! and yummy!

you need these to make: (makes 10 naans)

11/2 tsp: active yeast

1 tsp: Sugar

1 Cup: warm water

1 tsp: salt

3 cups: All purpose flour (maida)

6 tbsp: oil

3 tbsp: milk or yogurt

1 egg (optional for vegetarians and  substitute with 3 tbsp yogurt)

butter to rub on cooked naans.

• in  warm water  add yeast and sugar stir and keep it aside for 10 minutes.

• add the rest of the ingredients to warm yeast water and mix well keep on kneading for 5 minutes. it becomes so sticky while you are needing but that's OK! put the dough in a well oil coated bowl, cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap and keep it aside for 2 hours.
• before you start cooking naans, get your oven ready adjusting one rack to top position and set the oven broiler in height mode.

• the dough rise up, push it down and knead for 2 more minutes, divide the dough to desired size balls and roll them any shape you want. (round, triangle, oval, bunny, star, what not ;) don't make them too thin, if the dough is sticky use all purpose flour.

• most of us don't have the tandoor's at home which traditionally use to make these delicacies. tandoor ovens are very hot more than 600 or higher degrees, even though we don't provide that much heat, our kitchen broilers do pretty good job, put 1-2 naans on non-stick baking pan and cook them but watch carefully since you turn on the broiler before you start rolling naans, by the time you put the naans in the oven it is hot and they cook fast and burn easily. it takes approx 1-2 minuets on one side and flip it over to cook the other side not more than 30 sec. butter the naan generously on both sides and repeat the same to the rest of the naans.
• if you don't have the oven or don't want to use oven, stove top works perfectly fine too. butter both sides of the naan and fry them on the pan until golden brown color. 
• serve them warm.

if you have left over dough cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge up to a week, the dough still rises in the fridge and naans came out pretty good, even though i cook them with week old dough from fridge!

caution: very addictive and irresistible (sorry! dieters :)