Ingredients :
30 g fresh compressed yeast
3
teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup yogurt
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup melted ghee
3
1/2 cups plain white flour
2
tablespoons poppy seeds
2
teaspoons salt
Extra melted ghee
Method :
Fill a small bowl with a quarter cup of
warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and set aside for a
few minutes to soften, then stir to dissolve. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar,
stir and leave in a warm location for 10 minutes or until it starts to
froth. This is to ensure that the yeast is live. If it doesn't froth,
try with a frest batch of yeast. Stir in yogurt until smooth. Then mix
with the rest of the sugar, the remaining half cup lukewarm water,
melted ghee, egg and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Put 2 cups
flour into a bowl, make a well in the center and pour in liquid mixture,
beating well with a wooden spoon until it is a smooth batter. Add remaining
flour a little at a time and when it gets too stiff to use the spoon,
knead with the hands until a stiff dough is formed. Knead for
10-12 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, using as little
extra flour as possible. Form dough
into a ball, let it rest on board while preparing bowl. Heat bowl by
running warm water into it and leaving for a few minutes. Dry bowl
well, grease it, then put dough in bowl and turn it over so the top is
greased. Cover with a
cloth and leave in a warm place until doubled in bulk and a finger
pushed into the dough leaves an impression. Punch down
dough and divide into 8 balls, leave to rest 10 minutes. Preheat oven
to very hot - 230oC. Put two un-greased baking trays into the
oven to preheat. Pat dough
into circles keeping them thin in the center and thicker around the rim,
then pull one end outwards, making a teardrop shape. They should
be a hand span long and a little more than half that much wide at the
base. Brush with
melted ghee and sprinkle with poppy or black cumin seeds. Put 2 or 3
loaves on each baking tray. Bake about 10
minutes or until golden and puffed. If naan is
not brown enough, put under a preheated grill for a minute or two. Serve warm or
cool with tandoori chicken, lamb kebabs, korma or boti kebab, and with
kachumbar as an accompaniment.
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