Or, at least, that was the intent.
Our first bread of 2010 is Naan, brought to us by Lynn, of Cookie Baker Lynn fame. Visit her blog for the two authentic Naan recipes plus details on how to be a Bread Baking Babe Buddy.
And be sure to check out the other Babe’s blog’s (listed below) for more authentic Indian cuisine and, most likely, much prettier Naan.
Now: the disclaimer.
I don’t eat hot, spicy food.
I have a bizarre allergy, officially called Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis. If I exercise, even a walk, after I eat,
I can get an allergic reaction that varies from mild hives to
life-threatening anaphylactic shock – no pulse, no blood pressure. I’ve
made some great exits from dinner dances before I figured out how to
(usually) control it. I’ve woken up in hospital with a priest standing over me twice – which is exacly two time too many. (the hospital part, not the waking up part).
It almost always happened after eating something a bit spicy – almost, not always. I was tested and tested and tested.
But the reason I don’t eat spicy food is this: The most severe attacks I’ve had always begin with my mouth tingling. Eating spicy food makes my mouth tingle.
No matter how hard I try eat it or how determined I am that it’s not going to affect me or how much I am actually enjoying it in the beginning, the second my mouth starts to tingle some primitive instinct kicks in and I have to stop.
I know – all psychological.
I know – get over it.
I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’ve accepted this flaw.
And I made a lovely Morroccan stew to go with this gorgeous Naan.
Multicultural diversity!
There are 2 versions of this Naan: curried and plain. I made the plain.
Here is the official recipe – with my notes in italics:
Plain Naan
– makes 3 naan I made 6, should have made 8
scant 4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 oz / 15 g. package compressed fresh yeast*
water to mix I used 1 cup
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
olive oil for frying
1-
Line a baking sheet. Put the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and add
enough water to make a soft, but not sloppy dough. Add the seeds, then
divide the dough into three pieces and put on the baking sheet. Let
rest for 1 hour. I used my stand mixer for 3 minutes, it made a very soft dough. Then I kneaded by hand for 3 more minutes.
2- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured
counter and, using a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a circle, 10
inches / 25.5 cm in diameter, and let rest for 5 minutes. It was too sicky to get off my butcherblock after rolling, so I rolled it out on parchmment paper, let the top dry a few minutes, then peeled it off. the 10″ immediately contracted to 8″.
3-
Heat a skillet to a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil.
Shallow-fry each naan until browned on both sides, then set aside to
cool slightly before serving. I used medium high heat. I started with medium and they were okay, but on medium-high they quickly puffed up and were much lighter in texture when done.
I served it with a Morroccan stew of chicken, carrots, peppers, sweet potatoes. almonds and olives, spiced (lightly) with paprika, cumin and caraway
The next day I smeared the leftover naan with goat cheese and had it for lunch with some sardines.
Don’t turn your nose up – it was good.
My only warning would be not to make them too far ahead. It’s so tempting to just nibble a bit on the edges while they’re hot that they quickly disappear.
Check out the other Babe’s Brioche:
The Bread Baking Babes
Bake My Day – Karen
Canela and Comino – Gretchen
Cookie Baker Lynn – Lynn
Grain Doe – Gorel
I Like To Cook – Sara
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies – Natashya
Living on bread and water – Monique
Lucullian Delights – Ilva
My Kitchen In Half Cups – Tanna
Notitie Van Lien – Lien
The Sour Dough – Breadchick Mary
Thanks, Lynn for a great recipe – I’m thinking maybe with dill and parsely in summer with salads….
Oh I love you Naan too! You all make me so hungry, sitting here and reading through the Babes’ Naan stories.
Wow, who knew you were so sensitive? That must have been scary for you and everyone around!
Good choice to go for the plain and a lovely Moroccan stew. Delicious!
So glad you chose to go with the plain, Katie. I’d hate to be responsible for you ending up in the hospital a third time! Your naan turned out beautifully! (I knew saying it made 3 was weird!)
Your naan looks so fluffy, not at all like mine! How sad that you can’t eat spicy food, but your Moroccan stew sounds very nice indeed.
hey, whats that? I love that, looks so very delicious..
Well that’s a new allergy on me but I’ve learned I’ll never see it all in a life time.
The stew was an absolute perfect choice to go with your perfect Naan. Try the other recipe too, leave out the curry but the raisins are really beautiful. Honest.
How scary, Katie! Especially the part about the priest standing over you – yeah, I’d give up spicy food too – even if it wasn’t the culprit! I love naan and this looks great!
You opened up a new world for me there Katie, dill, parsley now I think thyme, basil and why not make on with sage? Thanks!
Wow that is scary, no spicy food for you I can totally understand that. Pairing the Naan with a Moroccan flavoured stew is an excellent idea. A thick sauce full of flavours will behave wonderful with the naan (and vice-versa).
oh no… and spicy is the… well, is the spice of life (at least mine).
You probably want to avoid my blog in the next day or two… I made hamburger buns and added crushed red peppers to em…
And this weekend is my Mardi gras party… probably don;t want to read that one either.
Poor you to be unable to eat spicy food. BUT your herby compromises sound wonderful.
I just saw Tanna’s naan and I’m still reeling that the naan recipe you’re using doesn’t contain yoghurt!
A scary allergy, glad you know how to tweak recipes and combine with things you can eat! That stew looks really good btw!
So come sit by those of us who simply don’t *like* spicy hot foods! 😉 My saying is “Food should not hurt”. On the other hand, I do hope you aren’t allergic to herb type flavorings. Or things like cinnamon and cloves. That would be very sad.
The naan looks fantastic! I tried Indian food for the first time last winter, and now just need to convince my husband that it doesn’t have to be so spicy it hurts AND they serve fantastic bread with it. 🙂
This Naan looks really fluffy indeed but the stew looks delicious as well. Where can you get goat cheese?
Hazel
that all right, I don’t think every indian love eating spicy food anyway. Your naans look GREAT!
Those great Naans of yours can be eaten with everything that tastes good .
Even in India they don’t eat hot everywhere. Thank god ,because we still want to be able to taste, don’t we ?
the stew and naan look wonderful!
this has got to go on my ‘cant wait to try’ list
…. You’ll just have to make some!
Lynn, I think 8 would be even better, easier to handle – for me, anyway… Great recipe!
Gorel, I can get very slightly spicy – north African is usually pretty good for me.
HFR – um, Naan!?!
Natashya, scary and a mystery for a long time. We adjust… Others have worse.
Tanna, I ‘had’ it for 10 years before there was actually a ‘medical diagnosis’ I was first! I will – raisins and cinnamon.
Jenn, the mind is very powerful ;-))When it speaks, I listen.
Ilva, I see this as a great summer salad bread – sans oven heating up the kitchen.
Baking Soda, someone sent me a Morroccan cook book and I’m having fun exploring.
Year on the Grill – I can do green chiles but not jalepenos if that gives you an idea….
Elizabeth, I’m a Naan Newbie so I didn’t kknow – if it makes you feel better I ate the leftover WITH yogurt….
Thanks, Lien, – it was all good ;-))
Laurie – I like that: Food should not hurt. And non-hot Indian is delicious. Our friend in Spain always saves a bit for me before it gets hot.
Hazel, here in France, goat cheese is everywhere. Thanks for the kind words…
Gattina, it’s just not possible in restaurants – at home it can be, er, reasonable.
Monique, absolutely, there has to some reason for flavor, afterall.
Thanks Sara….. even mon mari liked it – although he added hot sauce ;-))
Maria, thanks, it was easy as well as tasty
Your naan look perfect! Going to give your recipe a try soon.
Cymry, and it was easy – hope you like it.
Lynn, your Naan breads look amazing, you’ve made me want to try it as soon as I get the chance, I’m definitely going to make your recipe and I’m just craving some chicken curry so it’s perfect! Thanks, Lynn!