Butter Garlic Naan

his being the first recipe in my blog, I will start with the recipe for one of the most famous and loved Indian bread, the one and only NAAN. It's our (me and my hubby's) all time favorite bread. Soft yet toasty leavened bread soaked in butter.. then dipped in curry of your choice.. ahhh.. out of this world :) just yum!! We used to always order this whenever in any Indian restaurant but never tried making this at home. For me it was just something only a restaurant chef can make, just so out of my boundaries...Then i got married, came to the US with my dear hubby started my cooking adventures (burning roties, making overly salted sabjis, using salt in place of sugar in desserts, etc :)). Slowly and gradually with the support and trust of dear hubby I started getting comfortable in the kitchen tweaking, experimenting with different recipes and here I am with my very own food blog.
One thing that we miss here in the US is the luxury of having good Indian food available at any street corner you turn which we used to take so for granted in India. We used to crave for good naan, paneer butter masala.. (especially given my cooking expertise) and also didn't have the enthusiasm to drive 10 -15 miles every time for getting to the nearest indian restaurant in the area. So one day I just decided to make these at home and you guessed it I failed miserably. I started looking for recipes on the internet tried and tweaked some. In the process I finally learned how to make really good naan. I have tried making naan using a pressure cooker, grill, oven and even stove top. On regular basis at home I usually make this with atta or whole wheat flour and avoid butter. It tastes awesome and is also figure friendly (see notes).
Naan is basically a round/oval shaped bread made with maida (all purpose flour), salt, yeast culture and yogurt, cooked in a clay oven or a Tandoor. Here I am giving the recipe for traditional Indian naan using maida cooked in an American oven SO enjoy and hope you like the recipe.

Ingredients (makes about 8 to 10 naans)
All purpose flour .......................... 31/2cups + 1/4 cup more if needed
Rapid rise yeast ........................... 1 tsp
Warm water ............................... 1 cup
Milk at room temperature ............... 1/4 cup
Yogurt ...................................... 4 to 5 tbsp well beaten
Salt ......................................... 1 tsp
Sugar ....................................... 1 tsp
Oil .......................................... 3 tsp
Nigella seeds/ onion seeds ....... 1/4 tsp (optional)
Flour .............................. 1/4 cup for dusting while rolling the naan

For the garlic butter:
Butter ....................... 4 tbsp
Garlic ....................... 4 cloves finely chopped
cilantro leaves ............. 1 - 2 tsp chopped

In a small sauce pan melt butter on medium heat.Add the garlic and cook till the garlic gets light brown.Turn off the heat and add in the cilantro.

Method :
Preparing the dough

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, add sugar, salt, oil and milk. Keep aside for 7 to 10 minutes till it becomes frothy.
2. In a large bowl take the flour and make a small well in the center and slowly add the yeast mixture and yogurt.
3. Mix everything using your hands, the mixture will be sticky, this helps in making the naan soft. Use a little extra flour if the mixture is too sticky and difficult to manage.
4. Apply some oil on your palms and knead till you get a soft pliable dough. About 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle few drops of oil on the top, cover it with a wet cheese cloth, kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Keep it in a warm place for 30 - 45 minutes till the dough rises and doubles in size. I usually put the dough under my kitchen counter light and it works.
6. Punch down the risen dough to release the air and divide into 8 - 10 equal lemon sized balls. While making naans take one dough ball at a time and cover the rest or else they will dry out.

Cooking the Naans -

1. Set the oven on high broil mode. Roll this dough ball in little flour and flatten it on a lightly floured flat surface. With the help of a rolling pin roll it into a 1/8 inch thick and about 8 inches long oval shape. Sprinkle the nigella seeds and gently press them using the rolling pin.
2. Place the naan on a flat non stick pan (I use my cookie pan). Place it near the top  oven shelf and broil it for 3 to 4 minutes until you see some golden brown spots start to appear. Take it out and flip it on the other side and broil it again for 1-2 minutes till a few spots occur. Remember to keep an eye as every oven is different. Take the naan out of the oven brush garlic butter generously ;). Cut in half or as desired and serve hot with any Indian curry of your choice. ENJOY!   

Notes:
1. You can put 2 naans at a time in the oven. Wait for 2-3 minutes before making the next batch. This gives the oven the chance to get heated up again. 

2.If you want to go for guilt free indulgence just take 2½ cups of atta (whole wheat flour) and only 1 cup of all purpose flour in place of using only all purpose flour and of course you can avoid the butter altogether. 
3.You can also bake the naan in plce of broiling,Pre heat oven to 425 d F. Place about 2-3 naan on the tray can . Cook the Naan for about 2 minutes the top will be light golden and the Naan might start to puff. Flip the Naans over, cook for 2 minutes.  If you want it lightly charred, set the oven to broil and cook till the top starts getting charred spots, for about 30 seconds to a minute.
4.If you don't have an oven, these can be made on a non-stick pan as well. Heat a thick bottom skillet or a wok or any heavy bottom pan with a lid. Once its nicely hot place the naan wet side down which would stick and cover it with a lid.
Let it cook for about 30 secs or until you see bubbles on it.Now cook the other side of the naan over direct flame of the burner with the help of tongs. When you see some charred brown spots then you know that the naan is done.

5.Leftover dough, if any, can be refrigerated and reused within 24 hours.

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