I’ve seen so many pictures of beautiful Indian flatbread, or naan, on various blogs over the past few months. It just looked so good that I knew I had to give it a try.
So, when I chose World Cuisines as this month’s Kitchen Bootcamp Challenge, I decided that I’d finally give the naan a try. Though I do bake quite a lot of bread, naan was something that was completely new to me. Though I do love spices, I’ve always shyed away from most Indian food. I’ve tried a few recipes in the past, and the curry and tikka masala usually don’t really do it for me.
In fact, I think that the reason I haven’t made naan in the past is that I never knew what to serve it with. This time, though, I decided to just go for it. Though it wasn’t completely “authentic” (not by a stretch, I’m sure), I served my naan with some chicken marinated in yogurt and some curry spice blend. I know that I could have mixed my own spice blend, but I tend to collect spices… And, I had quite a few jars of curry powders and blends in my pantry. I figured I should try to use those before I start mixing more. To my surprise, both my husband and I really enjoyed the chicken!
I was so glad that I had tried making the naan. We liked the chicken, but we really loved the naan. I know I’ll be making it pretty often in the future. I loved how simple and easy it was. And, though it’s often associated with Indian cuisine, it lends itself to all kinds of different foods. I am especially looking forward to making it on the grill this year to serve with some grilled veggies!
The naan recipe that I tried was this Homemade Naan from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures. I followed the recipe almost exactly… The only change that I made was that I substituted half white whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour in the recipe. It turned out well, and it was one of the easiest bread recipes I’ve ever made. I highly recommend it!
Simple Homemade Naan
(Makes 8 flatbreads)
Recipe can be found at: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
After mixing up the flatbread dough, it is covered with a damp cloth and allowed to rest for at least two hours. Don’t be alarmed that the dough still looks rather sticky and messy after it has rested. There’s no yeast used in this recipe, so the bread won’t rise. Resting allows the dough to relax a bit, though, making it smooth when you knead it a bit.
The dough is divided into 8 portions, and each one is rolled flat. The dough can be sprinkled with herbs and spices (I just used salt and pepper) and then the other side is brushed with water.
Each flatbread is baked, wet side down, in a covered cast iron skillet over medium heat. After about 30 – 45 seconds, the dough will begin to bubble. Then, the flatbread can be flipped and baked for an additional 30 seconds.
Don’t forget that Wednesday is the last day to submit blog posts for this month’s Kitchen Bootcamp challenge!
Your naan looks so good Jen – makes me want to whip some up for dinner tonight :) I’ve yet to try it with a mix of whole wheat and AP flour, but glad to know it still turned out well!
The naan looks wonderful
Those look really good! I love naan. I make a red lentil dhal and use it as a dip with naan but I also spread them with peanut butter and fruit for the kids. They’re good for so many things :)
They look great. Your chicken looks so appetizing too and I’ll bet together it was a great dish. Cut up in little triangles they make a great addition to appetizers instead of serving crackers.
Love the photos. Great blog, Will recommend to others.
Thanks
Jocelyn
Love that you baked this homemade naan. I too have enjoyed reading all the posts & I love naan bread. Gotta try this soon. xo
The naan looks wonderful.
Perfectly made, Jen. The only problem with making Naan for me is-I end up eating it all in one day!
I’m a huge fan of naan and yours looks fantastic!
I just posted my first Kitchen Boot Camp challenge. And I can’t wait to see all the other recipes.
You cannot beat homemade. Wonderful pictorial.
Jen it’s absolutely beautiful! And no yeast? I think even I might be able to make them!
Ok, this really does look simple! I will definitely give this recipe a try :)