An old Indian favourite

Jump on board the gravy train with this Mughlai staple

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

It’s very Indian, probably a thousand years old, but still very much a part of modern life, in pretty much the same form as it has always existed.

No, I’m not talking about my favourite bit from the Delhi CWG Opening Ceremony (OK, I admit it, I’ve watched the rerun four times - minus the speeches). I’m talking about my topic for this fortnight’s column here – naan.

Of course versions of it are quite ‘everyday’, in northern India at least, and outside of India it is one of those things people easily associate with the country. Naans are known to have been served at Mughal kitchens, and most people think they originated there, but the earliest recording of this form of bread goes back to 1300 AD. Of course the imperial cooks of the Mughal emperors honed their craft to produce many variations of the simple naan (think kheema naan, kashmiri naan with nuts and jaggery…). They also introduced the tandoor, basically a portable oven, to feed their large armies on the move.

Back in India we rarely cooked naans at home, preferring the healthier unleavened version tandoori roti, made of wholemeal flour and cooked fresh for us by the friendly neighbourhood tandoorwallah.

But when I moved to Australia, a close friend Madhumeet Chaney introduced me to my first homemade naans. Brand new brides, we followed the recipe religiously in her kitchen, and served up beautifully puffed naans to our husbands. (The boys cooked the Murgh Makhani).

Here’s Madhumeet’s naan recipe, which I have dug out from my drawer full of Indian recipes - collected from girlfriends and female relatives over the years. Keeping them coming, girls!

Naan

3 ½ cups plain flour

1 sachet dried yeast

¾ cup lukewarm water

3 tsp sugar

¼ cup yoghurt ¼ cup milk

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup melted ghee or butter

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp nigella (kalaunji) seeds

Pour ¼ cup water in a warm bowl, and sprinkle yeast over. Add 1 tsp sugar, stir, then leave in a warm place for ten minutes or until it starts to froth. Stir yoghurt, then mix with the rest of the sugar, the remaining ½ cup lukewarm water, egg, melted ghee or butter and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Put 2 cups flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in liquid mixture, beating well with a wooden spoon until it is a smooth batter. Add remaining flour a little at a time and when it gets too stiff to use the spoon, knead with the hands till a stiff dough is formed. Shape dough into a ball, let it rest on board while preparing bowl. Heat bowl by running warm water into it and leaving for a few minutes. Dry bowl well, grease, then put dough in bowl and then turn it over so top is greased. Cover with wet cloth and leave in a warm place until dough it doubles in size and a finger pushed into it leaves an impression. Punch dough down and divide into 8 balls. Leave to rest ten minutes.

Preheat grill.

Pat dough into circles, keeping centres thin and edges thick. Then pull one end outwards, making a teardrop shape. Each should be a handspan long, and little more than half as wide at the base. Brush with milk and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Preheat ungreased baking trays and lay out naans. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until golden and puffed.