Kulcha Naan/ Indian flat bread

Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread found in the cuisines mainly of  India . It mostly consists of egg and milk products like yogurt. The egg brings crispiness to the naan while the yogurt helps in digestion of the gluten. It is generally prepared from wheat flour. However, spices are not used in naan. Spices are mostly used to make kulchas. Therefore, what I present here can better be called kulcha naan.

In restaurants naan is mostly prepared in tandoors. However, you can also prepare it at home on stove top. Follow the procedures and you will get perfect soft and puffed kulcha naan.

Course: Main course

Cuisine: Indian

Preparation time: 30 mins

Wait time: 1 hour

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ cup warm water
• 3 cups flour, divided
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup of chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons of nigella seeds/kalojeera /kalonji

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, warm water and let it sit till it becomes frothy.
2. Once frothy add oil, yogurt, and egg and mix until evenly combined.
3. In another bowl, prepare the dough with the flour and water which should be soft but not sticky.
4. Add flour if required.
5. Let the dough sit on a warm corner of your kitchen counter, covered for about an hour.
6. After one hour you will find that the dough has almost doubled in size.
7. Make small balls and roll in an oval shape.
8. While rolling add cilantro and Kalo jeera.
9. Take a non-stick pan and heat it.
10. To the pan put rolled naans and after you see bubbles turn it to the other side to cook the other side.
11. Serve them hot with palak paneer, chicken bharta, dim torka, murg malaiwala or any other dish of your choice.

Notes

1. After rolling the naan keep each naan separately or you can pile them one top of another with baking sheets in between.
2. Make the naans on high flame else they will turn crispy

Other variations

You may add grated garlic while rolling to make garlic naan or butter after roasting the naans to make butter naan.

Step by step instructions to prepare naan

In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, warm water and let it sit till it becomes frothy

Once frothy add oil, yogurt, and egg and mix until evenly combined.

In another bowl, prepare the dough with the flour and water which should be soft but not sticky .

Let the dough sit on a warm corner of your kitchen counter for about an hour. After one hour you will find that the dough has almost doubled in size.

Make small balls and roll in an oval shape.

While rolling add cilantro and Kalo jeera.

Take a non-stick pan and heat it. To the pan put rolled naans and after you see bubbles turn it to the other side to cook the other side.

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