Recipe to Make Soft and Fluffy Naan Bread

This food item is an essential accompaniment to hot meals. It is considered as a staple food in South and Central Asia, including India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and the surrounding region. In Turkic language, the bread is called ''naan''. During Mughal times, naan was a popular breakfast food and was eaten with kabab or keema.

This bread is generally baked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle, known as tava or in a clay oven. It comes in a large variety of flavors. Naan can be filled with potatoes, vegetables, or meat. Keema naan is stuffed with a minced meat (mutton or lamb) mixture. Kashmiri and Peshwari naan are stuffed with a mixture of raisins and nuts. Let us look at how to make this delicious bread home so that you can serve them in your next party.

A typical naan recipe includes a mixture of white flour, a yeast culture, salt and yogurt to make elastic, smooth dough. It is brushed with butter or ghee and served hot.

Ingredients

• 4½ cups, white four
• 1 package, active dry yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup, warm water
• 3 tablespoons, milk
• ¼ cup, butter (melted)
• ¼ cup, white sugar
• 2 teaspoons, minced garlic (optional)
• 2 teaspoons, salt

Preparation
First, in a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Allow it to stand for about 10 minutes, until it becomes bubbly. Then, add sugar, flour, egg, milk, and salt to prepare soft dough. Knead it on a lightly floured surface for about 6-8 minutes, until it becomes smooth.

Place the dough in a well-greased bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. Keep the dough aside for about 1 hour. Let double the volume of dough. Then, mix the minced garlic in the dough and knead it well. Make small balls from the dough and place them in a tray. Cover with a towel for about 30 minutes in order to make it double in size.

During this second rising, preheat the grill to high temperature. On the lightly oiled grill, shape each dough ball into a thin circle. Cook it for about 2-3 minutes, until it becomes light brown and puffy.

Brush the uncooked side with butter and turn over the bread. Then, brush cooked side with butter and bake it for about 2-4 minutes. Then remove the bread from grill. Serve hot.

You can make your own alterations as per your taste too. Just throw in some poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or chopped cilantro as toppings to make it even more delicious.