Garlic Naan

 

When we moved in with my in-laws back in June, the agreement was that we would pay "rent" in the form of groceries and cooking and it has worked out quite well though it never ceases to amaze me how much food 7 mouths can put away!

I must confess that naan was not originally on the menu last night but I am a people-pleaser. I had South Indian Lentil Stew bubbling in the slow cooker when a last minute case of people-pleasing panic set in. Though we have lived here four months now, I have yet to determine the likes and dislikes of my mother and father-in-law but I did recall somewhere along the line learning that my father-in-law does not like Indian curries. Of course I didn't remember this little tidbit until 3 o'clock in the afternoon when I was in the garage, covered in paint, three coats in to transforming my son's crib from espresso to white. My father-in-law is incredibly gracious and would never make it known if he didn't like what I served, but I wanted a peace offering, some sort of bargaining chip so he could walk away from the table feeling satisfied. despite my curried main dish. 

Usually yeast bread isn't the best "last-minute" menu addition (except in our house when we only seem to do yeast bread last minute...), but this dough was easy to throw together, even with the "helpful" hands of a 3 year old throwing flour everywhere. And the rise time provided me a prime opportunity to run back out to the garage to resume my painting.

My dough didn't really rise all that much (it certainly didn't double) but the naan turned out perfectly. So much so that the words "nailed it!" might have slipped out of my mouth after I took the first bite. It was soft yet chewy with just the right amount of garlic and enough butter to make it delicious. If you'll allow me to toot my own horn momentarily, I might venture to say it was restaurant quality even. YUM!

If you have 2 cast iron skillets, I would recommend using both to speed up the cooking process. You can adjust the heat as needed if you find your naan are getting too dark too fast but you do really want your pan good and hot to get them to cook right. They cook really fast so get ready to brush them with melted butter and flip them as soon as they begin to puff up. You'll get the hang of it as you go - I promise, it really isn't rocket science!

After all that worry, my father-in-law went back for seconds so I think it's safe to say the air is all clear over here. :) Make this at your next available opportunity and if you're looking for a delicious accompaniment, check back here soon for the Slow Cooker South Indian Lentil recipe.

 

Garlic Naan

 

1 package (or 2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Olive oil

1/4 cup butter, melted

 

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand about 10 minutes, until bubbly. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, garlic and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rise. Let rise for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

 

Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a large, greased baking sheet. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

 

Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with oil. Roll one ball of dough at a time into a thin circle. Place dough in hot skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet to a plate and keep warm. Continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

 

Makes ~16 naan