Nummy Naan
Khusrau baji prem ki khelun pi ke sang
Jeet gayi to piya more hari pee ke sang.– Amir Khusro.
(I’m playing a game with my beloved;
if I win he will become mine, if I lose, I will become his.)
Bubbly, fresh, fluffy naan – that beautiful Indian flatbread not just popular in South Asia but all over the world.
Derived from an old Persian word meaning ‘bread,’ naan’s first recorded history dates to 1300 C.E. Thanks to Indo-Persian poet and musician Amir Khusro, we know that naan-e-tunuk (light bread) and naan-e-tanuri (cooked in a tandoor oven) were cooked at the Imperial Court in Delhi.
By the early 1500s, naan was popular with Mughal royalty. With expensive-to-obtain yeast being one of the main ingredients, naan initially only graced the tables of royal and noble Indian households. Eventually, though, and partly because of the development of other flatbreads like roti, that were similar but unleavened, naan’s accessibility and popularity became more widespread.
It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, that naan finally made it as far as England, when Veeraswamy, still London’s oldest Indian restaurant, opened in 1926 with naan on the menu. And it was in a London restaurant (though not Veeraswamy), that I had naan for the very first time fourteen years ago. Though similar to other flatbreads, there’s something light and aromatic and wonderful about naan that makes it unique. And versatile – there’s almost no limit to flavors, toppings, and even fillings, that can be used with naan.
My naan recipe is fairly traditional, though I’ve added cumin seeds. (Nigella seeds were too hard to come by.) I typically make this naan to go with this recipe for Sticky Lemon-Turmeric Chicken by Alida Ryder, but you could just get some hummus and go to town.
Reality Bakes
My naan came out a little thick and while I had great bubbling while in the frying pan, they seemed to deflate once out. Next time, I’ll roll them a little thinner. I also found that they tended to burn after the first one so I turned the heat down to medium. I might try baking these on the pizza stone next time, see what happens. I had to improvise with the garnish as somehow the cilantro didn’t make it home from the store with us. Hate it when that happens.
Naan Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water (105°F-110°F)
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 2 tsp sugar, divided
- 2 1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing bowl
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp salted butter, melted
- Fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish (opt.)
Instructions
- Dissolve 1 teaspoon of the sugar in the warm water. Add the packet of yeast and stir. Leave for 10 minutes or until bubbling and frothy.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, remaining sugar and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the olive oil, Greek yogurt, cumin seeds, and yeast mixture. Stir everything together well, then use your hands and start to pull the mixture together. The dough should be very soft but not wet. If it's too wet and won't come together, add a bit of flour. (But be careful as too much flour can make the dough tough.) If it's too dry, add a bit of warm water, a teaspoon at a time. When dough is soft and forms a ball, transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth and stretchy but still soft, about 10 minutes.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil (or sunflower or vegetable oil) then shape the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls, and put them on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour, then cover with a damp towel. Heat a large cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Working one at a time, take one of the balls of dough and roll it out to form an oval or teardrop shape, about 8" long by 5" wide at its widest point, and about 1/8" thick. When the pan is very hot, lay the naan bread into it and dry fry until the top is full of air bubbles and the bottom is browned and charred in patches, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the naan and cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. (If naan are getting too charred, reduce the heat to medium.) Brush the top of the naan with melted butter and place it on a baking sheet covered with foil. Keep it warm in the oven at its lowest setting, gradually stacking each buttered naan on top of the others as they come out of the frying pan.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and serve warm with dip, hummus, curry, or as a meal accompaniment.
