Bread On Tuesday ~ Week 10 {Naan}

While traveling through Asia as part of our world geography studies last year, we wanted to make some Indian food.  Having enjoyed a scrumptious Scandinavian meal, and a yummy Italian meal using recipes from the children's cookbook, Emeril's There's a Chef in My World!: Recipes That Take You Places, we again looked to this cookbook for inspiration.  We made Mango Lassis (oh. my. goodness.), Coconut Chicken Curry, and the bread that I am featuring this week, Indian Naan Bread.  

I had never eaten Indian food before, let alone cooked it.  But our meal that evening convinced us that there were some great possibilities with Indian cuisine!  (Side benefit: our house smelled wonderfully spicy long after the food was consumed!)  

Last year when Bekah and I made naan, we cooked it on a cast iron griddle (top left picture in the above collage).  Tonight, I grilled it in my panini maker (top right, bottom right).  The consensus was that the cast iron  griddle made better naan.  We liked the grill marks, and the somewhat crisper outside.

(See my "MY NOTES" at the bottom of the recipe below for other changes that I made.)

As an aside...

If you make Indian Naan Bread and don't have a favorite Indian main dish recipe, consider trying this recipe for Coconut Chicken Curry.   I had neither black mustard seed nor coriander, so I omitted them.  I decreased the amount of curry to 2 teaspoons, simply because we have not eaten Indian food and I didn't want the curry flavor to be overpowering.  I also substituted ground ginger for fresh.  Maybe it would be better without my changes?  But we piled it on a helping of basmati rice, and we all loved it!  Yum!

Back to this week's bread...

(Makes 6 servings) Ingredients: 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup warm water (100-110°F) 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading dough 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon clarified butter (still warm) Directions: In a glass measuring cup, combine the yeast and sugar.  Add the warm water and stir well.  Let the mixture rest until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Sift together the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center of the flour with clean hands and pour the yeast mixture and 1/4 cup of the clarified butter into the center.  Mix together with your fingers until a smooth dough forms.  The dough should be slightly sticky.  You can add a small amount of extra flour if needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Oil a small mixing bowl with the remaining teaspoon of butter and place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Position rack in center of oven and preheat the over to 400°F.  Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and transfer to a lightly floured work surface.  Using a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll each portion of dough into a circle about 5 or 6 inches in diameter.   Transfer the dough circles to the prepared baking sheet and bake until just golden brown and puffed, 12 to 15 minutes. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Serve immediately. MY NOTES: I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for both mixing and kneading the dough. I added at least a 1/2 cup of flour to make the dough dry enough to handle.  (It was still sticky, as the instructions direct.) I did not clarify the butter this time.  (I was in a hurry; I only melted it.)  I saw no difference. I did not roll out the dough or shape it into circles, preferring the somewhat oblong, uneven shapes that I have seen in bakeries. As stated above, I prefer to grill the naan on a cast iron griddle.  (I have not tried the oven method.)

And David said unto him, 

Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; 

and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

II Samuel 9:7

Looking for a recipe from another week?

Week 1: Sweet Potato Bread

Week 2: Cheryl's Semi-Sweet Corn Bread

Week 3: Three-Cheese Bread

Week 4: Multi-Grain Bread

Week 5: Rosemary Bread
Week 6: Cheddar Biscuits

Week 7: Parmesan-Herb Focaccia 

Week 8: Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Week 9: Coconut Bread