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.

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Missi Roti

Missi Roti (Spicy Mixed Flour Flat Bread) is a traditional Punjabi variant of the universal North Indian Roti (Indian flat bread), Missi Roti differs in that it contains chickpea/gram flour (Besan) in addition to the wheat flour. The chickpea flour makes the roti much more wholesome - so it is quite filling. Also, the addition of chopped onions and other spices makes it a dish unto itself, that can be consumed with a side of pickles and/or yogurt. In contrast, the wheat flour roti (Indian Flat Bread) is always consumed as an accompaniment. Besides this, it goes well with any Indian veggie preparation as well. The chickpea and wheat flour provide ample health benefits - lots of fibers, proteins and minerals, and are also low in cholesterol.

Missi Roti is so quick & easy-to-make that you will be surprised. So what are you waiting for, it's about time that you surprised others too with this delicious bread :)

MISSI ROTI RECIPE

SERVINGS : 9 PIECES

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour; required for rolling & dusting
1 cup Gram Flour/Chickpea flour (besan); sifted to remove lumps
Salt to taste
3/4 cup finely chopped Onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Cilantro (Coriander) leaves
3-4 Green Chillies or to taste; destemmed & finely chopped
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper ( Red chilli powder) or to taste
1 tsp Oil
Water for kneading
Melted Clarified butter (Ghee) or Butter as required

How to make Missi Roti

1. In a large bowl, add wheat flour, gram flour, salt, cayenne pepper, green chillies, onion and cilantro leaves. Mix well.
2. Add sufficient water gradually as needed to make a smooth dough. Add oil and knead again so that the oil gets mixed well into the entire dough.
3. Once kneaded, cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes.
4. Once rested, knead the dough again. Divide the dough into 9 equal portions and shape into balls.
5. Place a griddle (Tawa) on medium heat.  Let it heat for two minutes.
6. In the meantime, take a dough ball. Flatten it slightly. Dip the flattened ball in the flour kept aside for dusting.
7. Roll the ball into a 6-inch circle using the rolling pin. If the rolling dough starts sticking to the pin or work surface, dust both sides of the dough with flour.
8. Place the rolled dough on the hot griddle and cook for a minute. Flip it. Let the bottom portion cook  for a minute and turn it. Cook till both sides of the rolled dough are golden brown with a few dark brown spots. Remove it from the griddle.
9. Spread a thin layer of clarified butter/butter on top of the Missi Roti.
10. Prepare the remaining Missi Rotis in a similar way.
11. Serve hot with fresh yogurt or pickle of your choice.

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Matar Paratha

Matar Paratha is Paratha filled with a Green peas-based spicy stuffing (Matar = green peas). Parathas are unleavened Indian flatbreads made from whole-wheat flour. They have a circular disc shape similar to a tortilla, but have more thickness than a tortilla. Plain Parathas (Parathas without any stuffing) are consumed as accompaniments to Indian veggie dishes and curries. But the real flavor of this golden-brown flatbread is unleashed when the Paratha is stuffed with any kind of veggies, lentils or even with groud meat (keema). The stuffed Paratha accompanied with any combination of Pickles, Raita, plain Yogurt, or Chutneys is a complete meal in itself - and great to put in kids' lunchboxes because it is great to taste and easy to pack. While Parathas are popular in all of North India, Punjabi Parathas are universally, and justifiably, regarded as being in a class of their own. We Punjabis swear by our Parathas :) 

Like other stuffed Parathas, Matar Paratha too tastes great with pickles and yogurt. You will be amazed at how something that tastes so great can also pack in a whole lot of nutrients. Whole wheat is low in saturated fat, very low in cholesterol, and a great source of dietary fiber, manganese and selenium. Coupled with the low saturated fat, low cholesterol and multiple vitamin and minerals in Peas, this Matar Paratha is a powerhouse of nutritional benefits.

MATAR  PARATHA  RECIPE

Makes : 8 Parathas

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Whole wheat flour for dusting
1/2 tsp melted Clarified butter (ghee) or oil
Melted Clarified butter (Ghee) or Oil for shallow frying as required

For the Stuffing:

2 cups Green peas (fresh or frozen); shelled and blanched
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
2 tsp minced Ginger
1/8 tsp Asafoetida; available in Indian Grocery Stores
1 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper (Red chilli powder) or to taste
Salt to taste
3-4 Green Chillies (such as Serrano) or to taste; destemmed and finely chopped
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh Cilantro (Coriander) leaves

How to make Matar Paratha / Mutter Paratha

For the dough:

1. Mix 1 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 tsp of salt into a deep bowl.
2. Add water gradually as required into the bowl and knead to make a medium stiff dough. Drizzle 1/2 tsp of clarified butter/oil in the bowl and knead the dough again till it is fully mixed into the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside. 

For the Stuffing:

1. Mash the blanched green peas coarsely.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add onion & ginger. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add asafoetida, cumin powder & cayenne pepper. Mix..
4. Add peas & salt to taste. Sauté for 10-12 minutes or till the mixture seems dry.
5. Add green chillies. Mix & sauté for a minute. 
6. Add cilantro leaves. Mix. Switch off the heat & remove the mixture from the heat. Let the pea-onion mixture cool down.
7. Once cool, divide the mixture into eight equal portions. Shape each portion into small balls. Keep aside.

For rolling the Paratha:

1. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions & shape into a ball. Cover with a wet cloth.
2. Take a dough ball. Roll it into a three-inch disc. Place a ball of stuffing in the center of the rolled dough. Bring together all the edges in the centre & seal tightly such that the stuffing does not come out.
3. Flatten the stuffed dough with your fingers gently. Dust with flour. Roll it gently and slowly with a rolling pin to approximately 6 inch diameter.
4. Place a non stick griddle (Tawa) on medium heat.  Let it heat for two minutes. 
5. Place the rolled dough on it & cook for a minute. Turn it & drizzle clarified butter/oil on it & spread it to cover the entire surface. Flip over & spread oil/Clarified butter on the other side as well. 
6. Cook till both sides of the rolled dough are golden brown. Remove it from the griddle and place it on an absorbent paper. Prepare the remaining parathas in the similar way.
7. Serve hot with fresh yogurt, Green chutney or pickle of your choice.

TIPS:

If you are calorie-conscious or health-conscious, use minimal oil instead of Clarified butter (This is what I do for all my paranthas)

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