Naan

The first time I had Indian food was at my best friend’s house in West Virginia.  Yes, you read that correctly, West Virginia.  She made curried chickpeas and peas with rice and naan.  Though I enjoyed the curry, the naan was the star.  Especially because she made it from scratch and she doesn’t like to cook.  It was also laced with fresh minced garlic, so it was yeasty and garlicky and delicious.  I had to have the recipe so I could make it back home and we did the next week.  So good!

Now I pass that recipe onto you.  I made yellow dal to go with mine.  I’ll give you that recipe another time since I forgot to take pictures of it.  Again, the dal was good, but the naan still remains the star of the dish.  I do have to warn you that this recipe makes about 14 pieces, so you may have to make a full batch and the freeze half the dough after the first rise.  Or, forget like me and attempt to freeze the cooked pieces. I’ll let you know if that works out.  Also don’t worry, I’ll have a post an Indian main dish to go with this Naan a little later.

adapted from my best friend’s recipe

 

2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

3 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour if you have it)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

 

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes, until it is frothy.  Stir in the sugar, milk, and egg.  Mix in the flour and baking powder with a large spoon until mostly combined.  Pour the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead the dough together for 6-8 minutes.  Place dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Set the bowl aside for 1-2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.

Punch down the dough and knead in the garlic.  Pinch off small handfuls of dough and roll into golf ball-sized balls.  Place the balls onto a tray and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the balls to raise for about 30 minutes.

Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium high heat.  Stretch and roll the dough into thin circles (or ovals). Brush the pan with butter or oil and place the dough on the pan.  Cook the dough for 2-4 minutes on each side and then store in the oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve.  Enjoy with or without a main dish.