Naan

Naan (or nan) bread is a northern Indian flatbread that is traditionally prepared using a starter dough that is lightly leavened by natural airborne yeasts. Once ready, the starter dough is combined with white wheat flour, salt, yoghurt (or milk), and may be enriched by the addition of egg. The dough is kneaded, set aside to rest and then divided into balls, which are flattened and slapped onto the side of a charcoal tandoori oven to cook. The weight of the dough causes it to form into a distinctive teardrop shape; however, most modern naans are formed into this shape by hand before baking, or made into rounds or ovals. Modern recipes may also omit the starter dough and add yeast or baking powder instead.

Various flavourings may be added to the dough, such as garlic, coriander, nigella seeds (kalunji), sesame seeds or onion seeds. The dough may also be stuffed before baking to create the following different types of naan, for example:

• Aloo Naan: stuffed with spicy potato filling
• Keema Naan: stuffed with a thin layer of minced beef or lamb curry
• Kulcha Naan: stuffed with onions
• Peshwari Naan: stuffed with sultanas, coconut and almonds

Once cooked, the naan is brushed with ghee or butter and served hot. It has a light, puffy texture with a soft crust, and makes an ideal accompaniment to any Indian-style dish. Naan is often served instead of rice, torn into pieces and used to scoop up and eat curries and other dishes that have a lot of sauce.