Sesame Naans

In my previous post, I had promised to post the Sesame naan recipe , which I learned from my friend. After tasting her naan I wanted to learn how to make it, and till then I had not baked any naans at home. I had always thought that making naan at home was impossible...Naan for me was something, which can be baked only by professionals. So, this this the first naan I learned, while living in the States. And I was very delighted to see the results..I was soo happy to bake my first naan and I immediately took the naans to her house, to ask if they have turned out good . And I was over the moon, when she complimented me by saying that they were not like her naans, but better than hers(blush)..I am really grateful to her that she gave me this recipe and encouraged me to try them. It is time consuming but is its all worth it because these special beauties are baked only once in while and on special occasions. So, here goes the recipe.....

SESAME NAANS

Ingredients:
3 cups maida /all purpose flour,
1 tsp of dry active yeast,
1 tsp of salt,
1 tsp of sugar,
1 cup of milk,
1/4 cup vegetable oil,
1 tbsp of yogurt and
2-3 tbsp of white sesame seeds.

Method:
Soak the sesame seeds in 1/2 cup of milk. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients-flour, salt, sugar and yeast . now add the oil, 1/2 cup of milk and yogurt and make a soft dough using some water if needed. Knead well, cover with a damp cloth and keep aside in a warm place for 2-3 hours. After 2-3 hours, make 4-5 balls with the dough, cover withe cloth/ with a cling wrap and let rest for 5 more minutes. Heat a tawa/ griddle and also the oven to broil, strain the soaked sesame seeds in a strainer to use it on the naan. Roll each ball a little bit, just the size of a small poori, top it with some sesame seeds and make holes on it, with your finger ('YES' with your finger). pat this between your palms to stretch and to make it larger. Cook one side on the flat griddle ( not the side topped with sesame seeds, but the other plain side) Cook on low flame until the base turns light brown in colour. take from the griddle and place on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven and cook till the naan turns light golden in colour. Remove it from the oven, and immediately, brush it with some butter and wrap in an aluminum foil (to keep it hot). Do the same with the rest of the dough and serve hot with Achari gosht or any vegetarian or meat curry.

Note:
The thicker the naan, the more softer it will turn out. So, make sure not to make it too thin because it will become very crispy.

I am sending this to Priya's Cooking with seeds-Sesame seeds event.

Alu Paratha / Unleavened bread stuffed with potatoes

ALU PARATHA
-yields 6 parathas

Ingredients:
2 cups wheat flour,
3 potatoes-boiled, peeled and mashed,
1 onion-finely chopped,
1 green chilli-finely chopped,
2 tbsp cilantro-finely chopped,
1 tsp cumin powder,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp amchur/ dry mango powder(optional),
a pinch of black pepper powder,
2-3 tbsp of oil and
salt to taste.

Method:
In a bowl, take the wheat flour, add some salt and around 3/4 - 1 cup of water to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for atleast 30 minutes. After around 30 minutes make medium sized balls of the dough and keep aside.
To the mashed potatoes, add chopped onions, cilantro/ coriander leaves, finely chopped green chillies, chilli powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, amchur powder and salt to taste. Mix well and make small golf size balls with the mixture.
On a floured surface, roll ball of dough into a round 5 inches in diameter. and keep 1 of the potato filling on the center and bring all edges together on the top and pinch the edges together to seal it tightly. This prevents the filling from coming out. Now roll the stuffed ball gently into a round of 7-8 inches in diameter.
Heat the tava/griddle on medium heat and cook the parathas on them, applying butter/ oil on both the sides. Cook both the sides till light brown in color . Cook remaining rounds in the same way and serve hot with yogurt / Indian pickle/ chutney .

This goes to Suchitra's WYF- Breakfast event.

Naan /Indian bread

NAAN

Ingredients:
3 cups All purpose flour,
1 tsp yeast,
1tsp sugar,
1/2 tsp salt,
1 tbsp yogurt,
1 cup milk,
1egg and
1 tsp oil.

Method:
In a bowl, mix the yeast with some warm water. Stir in the sugar and salt and leave it ina warm place for 5-10 minutes, till the yeast becomes frothy. Add the milk, yogurt, 1 beaten egg and the oil to this and mix well.
Take the flour in another big bowl and add the above mixture to make a very soft and sticky dough. Now add 1/2 tsp oil on top and cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and rest it for 15 to 20 minutes.
After 15-20 minutes, make medium sized balls with the dough, and place them on a flat sheet , covering them with a damp towel again and rest it for another 20 monutes. Pre-heat the oven to highest temperature or on broil mode. Now roll the balls into long oval shape. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake them in the Oven for 2-3 minutes / until cooked. After taking it out from the oven, apply butter on top. Serve hot with any curry/ gravy

Tips:
The Naan should not not be rolled out very thinly, because they will become very crispy.
For a variation, chopped garlic can be sprinkled on the Naan, before putting it in the oven.

Bread Rolls

BREAD ROLLS

Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour,
4 tbsp unsalted butter,
2 tsp dry yeast,
2 tsp sugar,
2 tsp salt,
1 cup milk and
2 eggs

Method:
In a bowl take the yeast, add 1 cup warm milk and sugar. Mix well and let it rest for 10 minutes ( for the yeast to dissolve) . In another bowl beat the eggs with a fork and add to the yeast mixture with 4 tbsp of melted butter and mix well.
In another big bowl, take the flour, add salt and mix it. Now add the above yeast mixture slowly to the flour and keep mixing to form a soft dough. Knead the dough for 10 mins , apply some oil on the top and cover it with a damp kitchen towel. Keep aside for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
On a floured work surface punch the dough with your hand to remove the aeration formed by the yeast. And rest the dough again for 10 minutes.
Now divide the dough into small rounds or any fancy shape and place it on a buttered / oiled baking tray. Now cover the baking tray with a damp kitchen towel and rest it for 30 more minutes ( this is the last time we are resting it ;-) ) After 30 mins of proving apply egg wash on the dough and bake it in preheated oven of 425 F / 220 C .
Once done, apply some melted butter on top and serve it with any gravy or curry.

Source :vahrevah.com