Chilli Garlic Naan

Here's an easy trick to boost the flavors of your favorite curries, lentils, grilled meats or stir-fried veggies - simply serve them with Naan! Naan is a delicious teardrop-shaped flatbread with a crispy bottom, a flaky top & a soft fluffy interior with a smattering of air bubbles. This complex texture does more than give the Naan its exotic looks - it provides a unique character to the Naan that makes each bite an exquisite, even regal, experience. With such striking characteristics, it is no surprise that Naan is hugely popular in India and other Central & South Asian countries - it is served as a hot favorite in parties & in Indian restuarants as a staple accompaniment to Indian entree dishes. The traditional Naan is prepared in by sticking it to the walls of a tandoor (a large clay oven). The extremely hot temperature of the tandoor chars the Naan in some spots, creating air pockets that give out a mild smoky flavor that makes this exotic bread a gourmet's delight. However, unless you live in a palace with a king-size kitchen, owning a clay oven is a distant dream - so for us commoners, a stove-top or oven serves as a viable substitute in households.

The ubiquitous Naan has many variants comprising of either stuffing the Naan with veggies or meat, or topping the Naan with herbs, garlic or other flavor-enhancers. My Chilli Garlic Naan recipe is a delectable version flavored with chillies, garlic & cilantro that give the Naan a zesty kick & make it look so much more appetizing too. I made this quick & easy-to-make version by using ingredients that are that are commonly available in one's kitchen. While some Naan recipes use yeast to raise the dough, yeast did not make its way into my recipe since it is not readily available in people's kitchens & is also not a preferred ingredient for some folks. Though I use the stovetop (I am just a poor commoner too!), I love the smoky flavor obtained in the Tandoor & have tried to replicate it in my recipe. An alternative to cooking on stovetop is to bake the Naan in the oven - however, be warned that this technique makes the Naan dry and unpalatable very quickly.

Now that you are armed with the know-how, aren't you raring to make this flavorsome, exotic bread... get, set, go!!!!!

CHILLI  GARLIC  NAAN  RECIPE

Makes : 6 pcs

Ingredients

2 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida)

1/4 All Purpose Flour for dusting

2 tbsp minced fresh Garlic

1/2 cup chopped fresh Cilantro (Coriander) leaves

3-4 Serrano Green Chillies or to taste; destemmed & finely chopped

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt or to taste

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 cup Plain Yogurt

1/2 cup lukewarm Milk

Unsalted Butter as required for brushing

How to make Garlic Naan

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add green chillies & cilantro & mix thoroughly. Make a well in the center & add the yogurt & milk and mix to make a soft & stretchy dough. Apply little bit of oil to the surface of the dough & cover it with a damp Kitchen towel/paper towel. Set aside in a warm place for 2 hours.
2. Punch the dough down & knead for a minute. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes.
3. Heat a heavy bottom skillet/Tawa (made of cast iron & with a handle) on high heat. 
4. Take a ball of dough, dust it with flour & flatten it between your palms.  On a lightly floured work surface, set the ball of dough. Roll the ball into the shape of a teardrop (about 6-8 inches long & of around 1/4" thickness). Sprinkle the top of the dough evenly with garlic & gently roll over the garlic to make it stick to the dough. 
5. Invert the rolled dough on the floured surface &  moisten the inverted side with water. Place the wet side down on the hot skillet. Cover & cook for 45 secs - 1 minute till bubbles appear on the surface of the naan.  Remove the cover & invert the skillet/tawa over the direct flame of the burner (Since the dough is stuck to the pan, it will not fall off when you invert the skillet). Cook for 1 minute or till brown spots start appearing on the side of the dough facing the burner. Remove from the skillet & brush butter on the Naan. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. 
6. Serve immediately.