Saturday, December 1, 2012

Aloo Naan (potato stuffing Naan)

Yes, I am back in blogging town to spice and shake things up ;) Things are never the same- we grow in terms of our experience and exposure. Been busy with travelling, new experiences, people (some, I don't wanna remember, ever) rest is all hunky dory. For the past couple of months, cooking has been royally neglected- I had to literally convince people that I do cook and write a blog about it. hmmm :( Cooking for me is a very holistic experience. You put on some music, tinker around your kitchen...gathering items, ingredients...thinking million things (unrelated to your recipe)...so engrossed, that you forget in mid way as to what you are supposed to be doing...then reorganize...focus, gal, FOCUS! I don't know about others, but for me the recipe goes through a dramatic change and has a lifecycle of its own. First, it starts with my taste buds dictating something exotic- then a frantic internet search and videos alter my decision to cook something different. Hang on, it isn't as glossy as it sounds. A bit of running around in the kitchen finally stamps out the shape of my recipe. And if it is a disaster (yeah yeah, don't tell me you are a born genious!) then the recipe comes out with a whole new strange twist on the dining table-

Back to my recipe, here I am with Naan. Naan? haven't I written about it already? yes, sweetheart, the more you make, the more you get good at it- got it? Stuffed naan- classic potato filling! Yum...What prompted me to make is a slightly different story. Roadside dhaba, clay furnance, churning out gorgeous and crisp looking naan is the key. Naan is the international star of Indian bread. Any one who has some knowledge of Indian cuisine will come up with naan. is it a big deal to make? compared to other flat bread versions, nope- it is easier to make and you can play around the stuffing to bring a whole new meaning to Naan.
Dough
  • 2 cups of All Purpose flour (maida)
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt 
  • lukewarm water

Stuffing
  • 3-4 medium potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • 1 chopped green chili
  • handful chopped coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala – optional

Preparation-

Dough
  1. Dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water with a bit of sugar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes till the mixture becomes frothy.
  2. Add salt and baking soda to the flour and mix well.
  3. Add the oil, yogurt and mix it well.
  4. Add the yeast mixture and start kneading the dough. 
  5. You gotta really work on the dough and Knead until the dough is springy to touch. 
  6. Cover the dough with damp cloth/cling wrap and keep it in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The dough should almost double in volume.


Filling
  1. Boil 2 medium potatoes until they are tender.
  2. Peel and mash the potatoes.
  3. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well


Making Naan
  1. Knead the dough for about two minutes and divide the dough into six to seven equal parts.
  2. Allow them to rest for a 20 minutes.
  3. Divide the filling in similar way. 
  4. Roll the dough into a rough circle and place the filling in center. 
  5. Cover the edges of the dough encassing the filling to make a ball. 
  6. Work on the rest of dough in similar fashion.
  7. Let the filled balls settle for 3 to 4 minutes before rolling them.
  8. Roll them into a oval shape.
  9. Coat them with butter/oil and place them in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes (200 degree Celsius)
  10. Keep an eye on the naan when in oven. half way through brush them with butter again.
  11. Before putting the Naan in oven, oil your palms with oil and flip naan between your palms and place onto your baking/pizza stone into the oven.
  12. After the naan is baked, it should become golden brown color on top.
  13. Take naan out of the oven and brush lightly with butter- serve hot!



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