Does anyone have a fail-safe Naan recipe???

[JennifersLost]

I need it for tonight for our Indian food potluck.

Thanks!

[Amira]

Do you want a recipe that is specifically Indian, or would another type of naan do? My absolute favorite naan is an Afghan one (see below), but it's thicker than your typical Indian naan. There are other flatbread recipes posted on my blog, linked below, or I could post some other recipes for you, depending on if you want a stovetop bread or one that's baked, etc, or some from Central Asia or Iran. Naan is one of my favorite things!


Afghan Naan

2 tsp yeast
1/2 c warm water
1 c plain yogurt
1 c boiling water
5-6 c whole wheat flour
2 T oil
2 tsp salt

Combine the yeast and water in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the boiling water and the yogurt and let cool till it's just warm about not hot (so you don't kill the yeast). Add the yogurt to the yeast, then stir in 3 cups of the flour. Stir for 2 minutes in the same direction to develop the gluten, then cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes or longer.

Stir in the oil and salt, then add enough flour to make a nice dough and knead till it's smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Let rise till doubled, about an hour.

Preheat a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven to 450. Take all the other oven racks out of the oven. Punch down the dough and divide into 6-8 pieces, depending on how large you want the breads to be. Roll out one round into a circle or oval or rectangle as you like about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Slash the top of the round with a sharp knife (try not to cut all the way through) to keep it from pocketing and slide or slap onto the hot stone. Cook till beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

[GVA]

DH introduced me to Middle Eastern food, and I have several good friends from India, so making naan at home has been an ongoing experiment. The blog I've linked to has my favorite method and links to other recipes as well. Pan-grilling is a little more labor-intensive than using a cookie sheet or stone in your oven, but we prefer the texture.

http://arcthomas.blogspot.com/2006/06/pan-grilled-naan-naan-with-haryalli.html