Who doesn’t love naan? Naan is that pillowy white goodness that is similar to a flatbread. Add garlic on top with cilantro, and I am in a lovely food coma. It is the perfect vessel to scoop up yummy curries or dal.
The only problem is that it is hard to cook at home because restaurants cook it in a tandoor. What is a tandoor? It is a clay oven. Unfortunately most people do not have clay ovens in their homes. I’ve seen them cooked on a cast iron skillet or a pan. Doesn’t taste the same. So how do I make it? In a stovetop pressure cooker. Yes, in a stovetop pressure cooker. It creates the same heat as a tandoor. If you do not have a stovetop pressure cooker, don’t worry. You can also cook it in the oven with a pizza stone. I did forget to take pictures of some of the steps so please forgive me. Here is how I make I make the dough:
Add flour to a bowl and drizzle one round of oil to the flour. Use a mild oil like canola, vegetable or mild olive. I used a mild olive oil since we cook with olive oil.
Mix the oil in the flour. This helps make the dough soft. I like to use my hands because I have control of how well it is mixed.
Now add baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix.
Now create a well and add yogurt, cream ,sugar and warm water.
Knead with your hands until a soft dough forms for approximately 5 minutes. I forgot to take a picture.
Cover with a dish towel and set aside in a warm area for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, divide dough and roll into balls. I made about 7.
Sprinkle flour on your surface and rolling pin. Take your ball of dough and roll it out round at first. Move your dough a 1/4 inch turn after each roll in order for it to be round. After, pull at one end of the dough to form a tear drop shape.
HOW TO COOK IT IN A STOVETOP PRESSURE COOKER:
Take your pressure cooker and start warming it up on the stovetop on medium heat. Warm up for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, take chopped garlic and chopped cilantro and sprinkle it on top of your naan. About 1 tsp each. Take the rolling pin and roll it over the naan so that it sticks to the dough. Lift up the dough and wet the back of the naan with some water. Easiest way to do this is add water to a bowl, dip your fingers in the water and rub your wet fingers against the dough. The dough should feel sticky. If it isn’t you don’t have enough water. Now place the naan on the bottom of the pressure cooker.
Cook four about 2 minutes. You will see it puffing up once it is done. Now turn the pressure cooker upside down. This creates the heat like a tandoor. Don’t worry about your naan falling. It should not fall down if you wet it enough. If it does, the dough was not wet enough.
Cook for about 1 minute. Check it to see if it is done. If not, cook for another 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn it. Brush it with some melted butter.
Repeat with other dough balls.
HOW TO COOK IT IN THE OVEN WITH A PIZZA STONE:
If you do not have a stovetop pressure cooker, you can use a pizza stone. Put the pizza stone in the oven and warm up oven to 550 degrees. Let warm up for about 30 minutes. You want the stone to be nice and hot. Add your rolled out dough to the stone.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Brush with melted butter.
The top one was made on the pizza stone and the bottom one was made in the pressure cooker. Serve with your favorite curry or eat it just like that.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbs oil
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbs heavy cream
- 2 tbs yogurt (don't use Greek)
- 1/4 cup warm water
- Topping:
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbs cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbs butter, melted
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the flour.
To the flour, add the oil. Mix the oil in the flour using your hands.
Add the baking powder, soda and salt. Mix with your hands.
Create a well in the middle of the flour and add the yogurt, heavy cream and sugar. Mix the wet ingredients with your hands.
Now add the warm water and start mixing the flour into the wet mixture in the middle.
Knead the dough in the bowl until it is soft. It will take about 5 minutes of kneading for the dough to become soft. If it doesn't add a tsp of water.
Once the dough is soft, roll it in one big ball and cover with a dish towel. Leave it in a warm spot for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, the dough should be nice and soft and pliable.
Divide the dough and roll into balls.
Flour your working area and rolling pin. Roll out the balls into a circle.
Tug at one corner to create a teardrop shape.
Sprinkle 1 tsp of the garlic and 1 tsp of the cilantro on top of the dough.
Take the rolling pin and roll the garlic and cilantro in the dough so that it doesn't fall out.
TO BAKE IT IN THE PRESSURE COOKER:
Place the pressure cooker on your stovetop burner (not electrical) and warm on medium heat.
Pick up the teardrop shaped dough and lightly wet the back with some water. Easiest way to do this is add water to a bowl, dip your fingers in the water and rub your wet fingers against the dough. The dough should feel sticky. If it doesn't, you need more water.
Drop the wet side down onto the bottom of the pressure cooker.
Cook for about 2 minutes. You will see bubbles forming on top of the dough.
Now turn the pressure cooker upside down. The naan won't fall if you wet it correctly.
Cook for about 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds.
Remove the naan with a pair of tongs and brush with melted butter.
Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
TO COOK IN AN OVEN WITH A PIZZA STONE:
Put the pizza stone in the oven and preheat your oven to 550 degrees.
Let it heat for 30 minutes so that the stone gets nice and hot.
Add your rolled out dough balls to the stone.
Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Brush melted butter on top.
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