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Garlic Naan needs no introduction. Predominantly from the continent of Asia, this leavened flat-bread is made differently in various subcontinents of Asia. The most familiar variety of Naan is the Indian version which is now readily available in most western countries too.
Traditionally, Naan is cooked in a hot tandoor, a cylindrical brick and clay oven. The dough made from maida is flattened and hurled on the wall of the hot oven and baked until it puffs up slightly with small brown specks on the surface. For the convenience of making Naan at home without tandoor, here is a recipe to make pillowy soft garlic flavored Naan using stove-top method.
Yields: 8
Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour / Maida – 3 cups + dusting
Whole Wheat Flour  – 1 cup  (you can use all-purpose flour instead)
Garlic Cloves – 8, minced
Instant Active Yeast – 3 teaspoons
Sugar – 1 tablespoon
Salt – 2 teaspoons
Warm Milk – 1 cup
Water – 1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons
Ghee/Clarified Butter – 2 tablespoons
Cooking Oil – 2 teaspoons
For Layering on Naan:
Garlic Cloves – 8, finely chopped
Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Sesame Seeds – 2 teaspoons
Butter for topping
Method:
- Take all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, minced garlic cloves, yeast, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Pour warm milk, 1/2 cup water and clarified butter. Knead it into smooth dough.
- If the dough is too dry, add 2 teaspoons (or a little more depending on the flour quality) of water and continue kneading. The dough must be slightly sticky.
- Dust a clean kitchen platform with 1-2 teaspoons of flour and knead the dough thoroughly for 5-10 minutes.
- Grease a bowl with 1 teaspoon oil and place the well-kneaded dough smeared with a little oil on top in the greased bowl.
- Cover it with a wet muslin cloth and let it rise for about 3 hours until the dough doubles in volume. If the weather is too cold, it might take a little longer to double in volume.
- Now knead the dough again for 1 minute.
- Make large lemon sized dough-balls. Allow them to rest covered with the muslin cloth.
- Heat a griddle.
- Start working on a dough ball – Slightly dust a dough ball and roll it into a thick disc. Now flip the disc between your hand palms, slightly stretching it to form an oval shaped disc.
- Sprinkle a little finely chopped garlic, coriander leaves and a few sesame seeds on top of the rolled out disc and gently press them into the disc so that they hold onto the disc.
- Now carefully lift the rolled out disc and using your hand palm, pat some water on the bottom side of the rolled out disc.
- Place the rolled out disc, with the wet side down, on the hot griddle and cover the griddle with lid immediately. Set the flame to medium. In about 30 seconds, remove the lid and you will see large bubbles on the disc.
- Turn on another gas burner, set the flame to high, using a kitchen tong place the other side (the side not roasted on the griddle) on open flame until brown patches are formed. Take care not to place it on the flame for long as the naan will burn.
- Turn off the open flame.
- Top the hot naan with a dollop of butter. Serve hot with the curry/dish of your choice.
