Make light and fluffy naan yourself

Dan Toombs, also known as The Curry Guy, loves curry so much that he wrote a book about it. But what is a good curry without naan? With this recipe, you can make them yourself at home, in a frying pan. And it’s a lot easier than you might think.

Dan: You don’t need a tandoori oven to make delicious, light and fluffy naan. Of course, it’s great to use a tandoor, and I often do, but this preparation in a frying pan is much easier and well worth trying. I guarantee that the naan you make at home on your stovetop will be just as delicious as those from most takeaways, if not better.

Method

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Heat the milk in a saucepan on the stove until lukewarm. Pour the milk into a jug, add the yeast and sugar, and whisk together. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes. The milk should start to foam immediately. If it doesn’t, that’s not a problem: your naan will still rise.

Whisk the eggs into the yoghurt. Pour the milk mixture and the yoghurt mixture into the flour and mix everything together.

Place the dough on a work surface and knead for 10 minutes until a soft, slightly sticky ball forms. Brush the inside of the bowl with a thin layer of vegetable oil and put the dough back in the bowl. Cover and leave to rise for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. If you let the dough rise for a long time, you’ll get a delicious sourdough flavour.

Take a piece of dough the size of a tennis ball from the risen dough. On a lightly floured work surface, use your hands or a rolling pin to roll the ball out into a round or teardrop-shaped piece about 5 millimetres thick. Brush off the excess flour.

Heat a dry frying pan over high heat and place the naan in it. It will cook on the underside first and then start to bubble on top. Check the underside regularly to prevent it from burning. If the naan gets too dark, turn it over so the other side becomes lightly browned as well. The naan will be cooked after 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the cooked naan on a plate, brush with a little ghee and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Keep warm while cooking the rest of the dough in the same way.

Optional: This recipe makes light, lightly browned naan. If you want naan with a toasted effect, place the cooked naan under a hot grill for a minute or longer.

Title: The Curry Guy
Author: Dan Toombs
Publisher: Good Cook
Price: €19,95