Taste & Create XXIII: Garlic Naan

Originally for Taste & Create this month, I was simply going to make my partner Pari's Chana Masala.

Then I was thinking about how much we love The Bombay House when we go visit Grandpa & Mary, and how we always, always order Naan, specifically Garlic Naan, so I searched Pari's blog at Foodelicious. And of course I found a recipe for Garlic Naan. Pari uses part wheat flour to make the naan healthier and to help keep it soft after cooking so it doesn't get so chewy.

I had two hours before our masala dinner, just enough time to whip out a batch of this delicious Naan. I topped mine with some chopped flat-leaf parsley in addition to butter and extra garlic.

The Naan was just about perfect, although we didn't really try for the "pear shape" breads. It was nice to introduce my parents to something they'd never had before, and especially nice since they liked it so much.

Try some today!


Garlic Naan

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
salt to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm milk
2-3 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp oil
3-4 tbsp butter

Mix the flour along with the baking powder, soda and salt. Add the garlic (leave 2 teaspoons to apply on top), yogurt and sugar to the flour. Add the warm milk and knead a soft dough (if required use lukewarm water). Apply oil and cover it with a wet cloth and leave the dough to rise for an hour or more (till it becomes double).

Punch the dough and divide it into 12-16 equal parts. Make balls and leave it to rise again for an hour.

Melt butter. Take each ball and flatten it on the palms and apply butter and then dust it with flour and then make balls again and leave them for 15 minutes.

Press a few pieces of crushed garlic on the ball and then roll the balls into 6-7 inch circles of 1/2 inch thickness. Pull it from one side to give it a pear shape.

Heat a griddle. Apply water to the top of the rolled Naan and put this side on the griddle. Apply water on the other side also and then flip the Naan to roast it from the other side. Ensure that the griddle is not too hot. Brush on some melted butter (or spread some butter), sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

The other way to cook the Naan is to bake it in a preheated oven at 250 C for 6-7 mins.

Pari says: Of the two methods (Griddle and Oven) I personally like the Naan made on griddle. The Naan on griddle cooks fast and has a better texture and gives you the flavor of Naan made in the tandoor.