Sunday, January 17, 2010

Some Baking Naan-Sense

After Christmas, I felt as if all my creativity had been squeezed out of me, leaving me flat. I'd done so much wrapping and then unwrapping, that my mind was definitely folding over on itself. And then I got tagged to pick the bread of the month for the Bread Baking Babes. So I picked Naan.

Does that seem like a naan-secquiter? Because it's not. It might seem like a naan-sense, but really it made perfect sense to pick a bread that's super easy to make and is really different, something naan-standard.

The challenging thing about Naan is that all the cookbooks preface their recipes with how you can't replicate the true cooking method of slapping the naan against the super hot walls of the specially-built clay oven. Well, I don't have that oven, but I don't think that lack makes it naan-negotiable. I used my cast iron skillet. A bit naan-traditional, but it worked.



Have you had enough of the bad puns? I hope so! Instead of more painful puns, I'll give you the recipe. Then be sure to check out what the other Babes have done with this month's challenge (links in the sidebar).

If you'd like to bake along and receive a Baking Buddy Badge to display on your site, bake the naan and post it before the 25th, send me a link to your post (lynncraigATcomcastDOTnet).



Curried Naan Bread
from Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads
- makes 6 naan

scant 4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
2 Tbsp mild curry powder
1/2 oz / 15 g. package compressed fresh yeast*
1-1/4 cups water
generous 1/2 cup golden raisins
3 Tbsp mango chutney


* If you are using instant or dry yeast, reduce the quantities a little (I used about 1-3/4 tsp active dry yeast)

1- Put the flour, salt, oil, curry powder, yeast, and water into a bowl and mix together for 2 minutes. Tip out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough is soft and pliable. Let rise for 30 minutes.

2- Line a baking sheet. Incorporate the golden raisins and chutney into the dough. Divide the dough into six pieces, then put on the baking sheet and let rest for 1 hour.

3- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and, using a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a circle, 25.5 cm / 10 inches in diameter. Put back on the sheet and let rest for 5 minutes.

4- Heat a skillet to medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Shallow-ofry each dough until browned on both sides, then set aside to cool slightly before serving.

Plain Naan
- makes 3 naan

scant 4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 oz / 15 g. package compressed fresh yeast*
water to mix
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
olive oil for frying


1- Line a baking sheet. Put the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and add enough water to make a soft, but not sloppy dough. Add the seeds, then divide the dough into three pieces and put on the baking sheet. Let rest for 1 hour.

2- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and, using a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a circle, 10 inches / 25.5 cm in diameter, and let rest for 5 minutes.

3- Heat a skillet to a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Shallow-fry each naan until browned on both sides, then set aside to cool slightly before serving.

29 comments:

Astrid said...

I love your idea of choosing Naan!!
Plus it is perfect to make beforehand and take it with me to work. Excellent! Thank you!

görel said...

I'm very delighted that you chose this bread, at last I came around to try it! I saw Gordon Ramsay trying to bake naan the traditional way in a TV show, he didn't do very well ...

Katie said...

Ohhh I love the idea of the naan with the raisins and mango chutney - inspired! Bet it goes brilliantly with a curry

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Really loved these with the raisins and the curry! Your Naan look soft and pillowy! Just perfect.
Your puns are fun.

Melinda said...

Naan makes perfect sense! I love all naans but especially peshwari naans.
Do you like curries?

Ilva said...

Thank you Lynn for this naantastical sorry, fantastical ( BBB challenge! I'm very happy to be a naan baker, well sort of anyway!

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Karen Baking Soda said...

Naaa-n- you're making sense and this was a great job for January! Thanks again, I am going to make them again and use chutney this time.

grace said...

naan-sense. naan-traditional. oh, lynn, you do make me chuckle. great use for the ol' cast iron skillet. :)

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I wouldlove to make my own naan and it may happen someday. Thanks for the inspiration Lynn.

Maria said...

Ha! Great post. Love the curry in there!

Elle said...

Love the puns...and the bread.Brilliant to put golden raisins and chutney in along with the curry. Look great!

NKP said...

Thank you so much for choosing this awesome bread! We absolutely loved it.
Yours looks great! Love the naan-sense.

Lien said...

Thanks for this wonderful choice Lynn! My family loves you for it too. That mango, raisin naan was just wonderful. I love the chunky bit you had in your chutney!

Abby said...

V. cute. And I could eat my WEIGHT in naan. But we won't talk about just how much naan that might be...

Monique said...

You wrapped me with the pick of this month bread! Mangochutney-naan was heaven.And so thought the family here. So in the future when I cook Indian food I'll have to be be the Naan baker too...no more excuses.
Thanks ,Lynn.

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Sharon said...

Love the puns and the naan! It's always been one of my favorite breads but I've yet to cook it!

Sook said...

Naan bread is one of my favorites! I've tried to bake those before and they were so wonderful. Love your recipe as well.

Sara said...

You are very punny! Sorry I missed out on this one, your bread looks naan-mazing!

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natalia said...

Ciao ! How wonderful ! I'd love to try it but I'll have to make my own chutney !

Katie said...

Mon mari loves chutney - I really need to - find some, then make the Naan with it.
BTW - very punny post ;-))

Karin said...

I did a mixture of the two recipes mostly due to lack of things in my pantry ( dont know how that happened...) 1,5 week and my school is over and I will be staying in my appartment again and stocking it properly and try BOTH the versions seperately. Thanks for choising naan and I really enjoyed all the naansense!!
My bread is here: http://karinskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/01/bread-baking-babes-bakes-naan.html
and my "adress" kmantefors@gmail.com

AP269 said...

I made the curried naan with mango chutney, and it was AWESOME! Here's my post about it: http://wp.me/pv1QP-mb. Loved reading your post - it was so funny!

Cindystar said...

thanks lynn for this lovely recipe!
we really appreciated very much...and you know, 7 Italian men in my house eating Indian bread...it's quite a miracle!

Cindystar said...

sorry, lynn, I can't get through with your email address, here is my post:

January BBB - Naan

Jennifer Jo said...

I'm making these for my breakfast.

eatme_delicious said...

Hahaha I love (and am impressed with) your naan puns! The bread sounds amazing too.