Homemade Series #2 - Roti and Naan (and the secret to a happy marriage!)

Rice, Roti and/or Naan are a must as an accompaniment to most Indian meals.  It is a great way to scoop up yummy, spicy curries or to  just nibble on on their own.

I grew up in a home where we mostly ate rice and my husband grew up in a home where he almost never ate rice and ate rotis instead.

After we got married what would we do? An avid rice lover and a die-hard roti/naan fan?  We would just have to......... have both! There are other things I could possibly bend for. But giving up rice? Nah.

Now theres the secret to a happy marriage - really good food  with a bit of compromise (...for the right reason) : j


Rice is a fairly simple dish to make especially since the invention of the handy dandy rice maker. Indian flatbreads on the other hand are more involved. Here are the recipes we use when we make delicious roti and naan at home!

     ROTI

     Roti aka chapathi aka phulka, no matter what you call it, is just as important as rice when serving an Indian meal. There is something about eating with your hands that makes food even more tasty : j

     Ingredients:

     Duram Wheat Flour ( I use Golden Temple Brand)

     Warm Water

     Oil

     Steps:

     This is best made in a stand mixer but can be kneaded by hand as well.

1. Add flour (start with ½ cup) into stand mixer fitted with a  dough hook and start on low.
2. Add warm water to flour a little bit at a time, turn up to medium speed and mix until the dough is sticky. At this point, check to see if you have made the amount of dough you want. If you would like more dough – repeat step 2 until you reach the amount you would like.
3. Once the dough is sticky, drizzle oil (I use Canola) onto the dough until coated and no longer sticky
4. Take out of stand mixer and store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the fresh dough!
5. Set a tava or flat non stick pan on stove to warm up.
6. Pinch of a golf ball size pieces of dough and on a floured surface roll out to a flat 5-6 inch round.
7. Let roti cook for 1 minute on one side or until you see bubbles forming on the surface. Then flip over and cook until browned on both sides.

**Hint –  during cooking take a clean kitchen towel and gently press down on the roti. This should cause the roti to puff up and steam***

NAAN

Heres the recipe I used from allrecipes.com. I did not grill the naan. Instead we broiled it in our oven. We watched each piece carefully to make sure they didn’t burn.

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour (I used wheat flour)

2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Steps:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar with the yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy.
2. Stir in the rest of sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth.
3. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
4. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic if using.
5. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
6. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat. (or oven)
7. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Serve either with your fave Indian recipe! Find one at www.OurEyesEatFirst.com : j