Naan (Indian Flatbread)

This is typically eaten in northwest India with most meals, often used to scoop up the beans (dal) or other parts of the meal. It may be also served with Raita (a cucumber sauce)- recipe posted on this blog also. This recipe is from King Arthur flour company.

Ingredients:

2 cups white wheat or traditional whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 Tbsp butter or ghee (clarified butter), melted
1/2 cup milk or whey from drained yogurt
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 large egg

Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the butter or ghee, milk or whey, yogurt and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring to form a shaggy mass of dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it until it is smooth and shiny. Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it is doubled in bulk. At this point, the dough may be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours for extra flavor and ease of rolling.

Divide the dough into six pieces and hand-stretch or roll each piece into a thin oval shape. Pull on the front edge of the oval to elongate and create the tear shape. Let the pieces rest, uncovered, while you heat the griddle on high heat. Transfer the naan to the griddle. Grill for approximately 2-3 minutes on one side, until the bread puffs and begins to look set around the edges. Flip over and finish cooking. Serve warm.

Optional- it is also great "stuffed" with cooked potato, little oil, white and/or green onion, garlic and chopped cilantro/parsley. Have this mixture already prepared- Potatoes cooked and seasoned with an Adobo seasoning salt and mashed and then mixed with the oil, onion, garlic and herbs. When you divide the naan into six balls, flatten each out and wrap around about 1-2 Tbsp of potato mixture and flatten again with a rolling pin. Cook as above.