Naan
Naan, a light and bubbly flatbread, bakes in a tandoor, a barrel-shaped oven that heats to at least 500 degrees. One afternoon, I ventured off to the Goan beachfront to explore the tents with colorful displays of fresh fish, curry, and crispy bread. I saw teenage boys slapping dough against the wall of a tandoor, a ceramic vessel with glowing embers at its base. I froze, mesmerized by the transformation of the dough into bubbly naan, the leavened flatbread used to scoop up curry. And as I peppered one boy with questions, I fell in love with tandoor cooking. Months later, I bought a tandoor to bake my own naan, mimicking the methods I learned.
I later perfected my naan-making skills with the help of Chef Monish at the Taj Lake Hotel. There’s a saying that “a true tandoor chef has no hair on his arms.” And I live its truth every time I slap dough onto the oven’s interior walls. But don’t worry. You can use a hot cast-iron skillet for singe-free results.
Ingredients
Makes 10-12 Large Pieces
Naan:
1/2 cup whole fat plain yogurt
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
about 4 cups flour (plus more for rolling dough)
Extra:
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1/2 stick butter, melted
Process
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, vegetable oil, and water until combined. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until
a soft dough forms. Sometimes more or less flour is required to make the dough manageable to knead. Form the dough into a ball and knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, until it is soft and a bit sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for 1 to 3 hours.
Form the dough into 10 to 12 balls, just larger than golf balls. On a floured board, roll one ball into a flat round about 1⁄4 inch thick and 6 inches in diameter. Transfer the round to a parchment-lined baking sheet, lightly dampen the top with water, and sprinkle with about 1⁄2 teaspoon each white and black sesame seeds. Continue rolling out and topping remaining dough, but do not the let the rounds touch each other on the parchment. When you run out of room, place a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper over the rounds and top with more.
Heat a tandoor on the stovetop over very high heat until very hot. Place one dough round, seeded side down, on a moistened gaddi (oven mitt), then slap the dough on the inside wall of the tandoor. Within a minute the dough will blister and become browned. Remove with tandoor rods or metal tongs, place on a platter, and brush with melted butter. Repeat to cook the remaining dough rounds.
Alternatively, you can cook the naan in a cast-iron skillet that has been heated as high as possible. Place one dough round in the dry pan, seed side down, and cook for 1 minute, or until the underside is golden and bubbles have formed on the top. Using tongs, turn to cook other side for 30 seconds. Remove to a platter and brush with melted butter.
