Naan and its varieties

I love naans and often get ready made ones which just have to be warmed in the oven or under the grill. However, I am conscious that it is made with plain flour / maida and is there for less healthy than whole meal flour or roti atta. The reader is free to use which ever flour they want to use. This recipe makes 5 naans. You can make these fresh ones under the grill or on the flat gridle / tawa.

Ingredients:

• 300 gm of Plain flour / whole meal flour / roti atta
• 2 heaped tablespoons of plain yogurt at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or any vegetable oil
• Warm water as required
• 2 teaspoons of ghee or butter

Method:

• In a shallow bowl – mix flour, salt, sugar and oil. Mix to ensure it is evenly spread.
• Add the yogurt and mix it into the flour.
• Now add small quantities of warm water to bring the dough together. The dough needs to be soft and kneaded for a few minutes. Then take a few drops of oil on the palm and gently knead the dough so it is covered in the oil. 
• Cover with a lid or cloth and leave it to prove for half an hour minimum. I have often left it for a couple of hours without any problems.
• When ready to cook give the dough a quick knead and divide into 5 equal parts. 

Tawa Cooking

• If cooking on a tawa you need to start heating it before you roll out the naan.
• Take the ball of dough and press it between your palms to flatten and then cover with flour ready to roll.
• Place on the flat surface / chakalo / patlo (dusted with flour) and roll it out with a rolling pin to a circle of 15 - 17 cm in diameter.
• (If you make with maida or plain flour and the dough is sufficiently soft you can use your fingers to shape the naan without having to toll it out.)
• Now that the tawa is hot place the rolled-out naan on to it. 
• As the surface starts to lose it raw look turn over the naan.
• In a couple of minutes check and you will see that there are darkened spots. Time to turn is back and let the other side cook. Most often you will see the naan balloon out as air fills it out.
• Remove from the tawa and place between folded layers of tea cloth to keep it warm.

Grill Cooking

• For using the grill – place a foil over the tray under the grill and start the grill to warm it up.
• When the naan is rolled out place it on the foil and return the tray back under the grill.
• Again, as you see it getting cooked and dark spots emerge remove the tray from under the grill and turn over the naan. Replace the tray back under the grill and let it cook. You should be able to see the air creating bubbles on the naan.
• Remove the naan from the tray and place between folded layers of tea cloth to keep it warm.
• Apply small amount o ghee or butter as each one is done.

Variations of the Naan

• You can sprinkle kalonji / nigella seeds on to the rolled-out naan and pat it down.
• You can sprinkle til / sesame seeds on to the rolled-out naan and pat it down.
• You can sprinkle poppy seeds on to the rolled-out naan and pat it down.
• You can sprinkle slithers of garlic on to the surface of the rolled-out naan and gently run the rolling pin to press down the garlic. Alternately you can mix the garlic into the dough just before you start rolling out.
• You can sprinkle coriander leaves on to the rolled-out naan and pat it down.
• You can also sprinkle cheese over the naan once it is cooked and melt the cheese under the grill.

Palak / Spinach Parathas

A few weeks back I saw a website that came up in my Facebook news feed about making different types of parathas. Since I know a few different recipes myself, I was intrigued to see what kinds were in this recipe link. Scrolling down the list palak parathas caught my eye. Now I do feel I should have more spinach in my diet but always find it difficult to think what I can make besides the moong dal and palak. Just realised, that I have not penned that one and will do so after this one. I am not very fond of palak paneer as the palak is gets cooked to a pulp.

The palak paratha recipe was to my mind very lengthy and it involved blitzing the spinach in a mixer and using the pulp instead for water to knead the dough. Of course various condiments and spices were to be added to this dough. This would provide nice green parathas. I did not want to do the additional blitzing of spinach which meant I would not be sure of how much dough I would eventually make and additional washing up. So I adapted the recipe and made these wonderful tasting parathas.

Ingredients

1/2 bunch of spinach finely chopped

2 cm piece of ginger finely chopped

1 medium sized green chilli also finely chopped

300 gm of plain wheat flour / chapatti flour

A teaspoon of salt

Water about 225 ml

5 table spoons of Olive oil.

Preparing the Dough

• Place the finely chopped spinach, ginger, chilli and salt in a bowl.
• Add the flour and 1 table spoon of olive oil next and mix them together.
• Then start adding water a little at a time while bringing the dough together.
• Once all the dough is brought together knead it for a few minutes.
• Finally take a teaspoon of olive oil in your hand and knead the dough to make it smooth.

Normally I set aside the dough of parathas and chapattis to rest but with this one I try not to keep it resting for more than 10 minutes as the palak can make the dough too soft.

Preparing the Paratha

• Put a flat griddle or tawa on the hob to get it heating. Have a small bowl of oil and teaspoon to brush the paratha with oil as it is cooking. It is useful to get a foil ready to cover your parathas and keep them warm.  Take a dough ball big enough to fill your palm. You should be able to make about 7 balls / portions from that dough.
• Flatten it a little and cover it with flour before rolling it out. This use of flour as you are rolling out keeps the dough from sticking on to the rolling pin (Gujarati word is velan) or the surface you are rolling it on. Some people can use the work surface tops or wooden or marble patlo (a Gujarati word for the surface you roll out your chapattis on).
• Roll out the dough to as about 2 mm thickness.
• Put on the hot griddle and wait for it to warm up and start to get cooked. Turn it over once and brush with oil. Then turn over again and brush the other side with oil. The cooked paratha will have some blistering and darkening patches.

I would recommend having these palak parathas with raita or moong dal or even just mango pickle.

Palak / Spinach Parathas

A few weeks back I saw a website that came up in my Facebook news feed about making different types of parathas. Since I know a few different recipes myself, I was intrigued to see what kinds were in this recipe link. Scrolling down the list palak parathas caught my eye. Now I do feel I should have more spinach in my diet but always find it difficult to think what I can make besides the moong dal and palak. Just realised, that I have not penned that one and will do so after this one. I am not very fond of palak paneer as the palak is gets cooked to a pulp.

The palak paratha recipe was to my mind very lengthy and it involved blitzing the spinach in a mixer and using the pulp instead for water to knead the dough. Of course various condiments and spices were to be added to this dough. This would provide nice green parathas. I did not want to do the additional blitzing of spinach which meant I would not be sure of how much dough I would eventually make and additional washing up. So I adapted the recipe and made these wonderful tasting parathas.

Ingredients

1/2 bunch of spinach finely chopped

2 cm piece of ginger finely chopped

1 medium sized green chilli also finely chopped

300 gm of plain wheat flour / chapatti flour

A teaspoon of salt

Water about 225 ml

5 table spoons of Olive oil.

Preparing the Dough

• Place the finely chopped spinach, ginger, chilli and salt in a bowl.
• Add the flour and 1 table spoon of olive oil next and mix them together.
• Then start adding water a little at a time while bringing the dough together.
• Once all the dough is brought together knead it for a few minutes.
• Finally take a teaspoon of olive oil in your hand and knead the dough to make it smooth.

Normally I set aside the dough of parathas and chapattis to rest but with this one I try not to keep it resting for more than 10 minutes as the palak can make the dough too soft.

Preparing the Paratha

• Put a flat griddle or tawa on the hob to get it heating. Have a small bowl of oil and teaspoon to brush the paratha with oil as it is cooking. It is useful to get a foil ready to cover your parathas and keep them warm.  Take a dough ball big enough to fill your palm. You should be able to make about 7 balls / portions from that dough.
• Flatten it a little and cover it with flour before rolling it out. This use of flour as you are rolling out keeps the dough from sticking on to the rolling pin (Gujarati word is velan) or the surface you are rolling it on. Some people can use the work surface tops or wooden or marble patlo (a Gujarati word for the surface you roll out your chapattis on).
• Roll out the dough to as about 2 mm thickness.
• Put on the hot griddle and wait for it to warm up and start to get cooked. Turn it over once and brush with oil. Then turn over again and brush the other side with oil. The cooked paratha will have some blistering and darkening patches.

I would recommend having these palak parathas with raita or moong dal or even just mango pickle.