Naan Bread

I love making bread. Whole wheat sandwich bread, hamburger buns, focaccia: I love to make it. Naan is great because it only takes one rise (AKA takes less time to make!). It is a GREAT accompaniment to chana masala or another Indian dish. It also makes a great flatbread pizza! But, that assumes you can keep your hands off it long enough to put toppings on it.

The bread doesn't take long to make, but I found the bottleneck is how big your griddle is to cook them up. My griddle is standard issue and can cook 2 small pieces or one large piece at a time. So, make sure you have a buddy to help you roll out the pieces or plan ahead with time if you're working alone.

Naan Bread

from Once Upon a Chef

1 teaspoon active dry yeast 

3 teaspoons sugar, divided

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons melted salted butter, for brushing on finished naans

1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar with 3/4 cup warm water. Let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside.

3. Add the yogurt and olive oil to yeast mixture and whisk to combine. 

4. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and mix the dough together with a fork. When the dough comes together, knead gently into a ball (the dough will be slightly sticky). Knead as few times as possible to form the ball.

5. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let sit in a warm place for 1 hour, or until about doubled in size.

6. Dust your work surface with flour. Shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut into 6 equal portions, dusting with more flour as necessary so the dough doesn't stick. 

7. Warm a large cast iron or heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Using a rolling pin, roll one of the dough balls into an oval shape about 1/8-inch thick (it should be about 9 inches x 4 inches). Pat off any excess flour.

8. Gently lay the dough in the dry skillet and cook until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden and blackened in spots, a few minutes. Flip the naan and cook about 1-2 minutes more until the the bottom is lightly browned and blistered in spots. Remove the naan from the skillet and brush with melted butter. Serve warm.

9. Note: To keep the cooked naans warm, place them in a 200°F oven. Store leftovers in a Ziplock bag and reheat in a 350°F oven wrapped in foil.

Chana Masala

I fell in love with chana masala when we went to our local Indian restaurant in Illinois. So, I went to one of my go-to blogs for a chana masala recipe. Smitten Kitchen did not fail to deliver! I usually serve the chana masala over rice. However, in my rush making making dinner tonight, I forgot to make the rice. In a panic, I made some elbow noodles and served the chana masala over them. No harm done. It turned out great.

The spices in this recipe are a bit numerous and fussy. I made up a "chana masala" blend that I keep in my pantry. Now I use it for chana masala, quinoa, and rice pilaf when I'm in the mood for an Indian flavor. I also whipped up some naan bread while the chana masala was simmering on the stovetop (I had planned ahead for that one!). And, voila! We had the perfect meal!

Chana Masala
from Smitten Kitchen


 2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small
2/3 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon (juiced)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two.
3. Add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas.
4. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Gobi Matar Sabzi

This was my first foray into Indian cuisine. I haven't eaten that much Indian food. So, I don't have a good point of reference. The recipe I went off of is from my "menu planning" blog - This Week for Dinner. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out!

It took about 30 minutes to prepare. There is a lot of prep work. Once the prep is done, the dish comes together pretty quickly. The seasoning is just right. It definitely has an Indian flavor. The recipe calls for an "onion paste." I'm sure such a thing exists at a specialty foods store, but I couldn't find it. I used an onion, my zester, and A LOT of elbow grease to make my onion paste. The only issue was that it created a river of "onion water." In the future, I would have a paper towel underneath to catch the liquid.

I don't think I can eat this dish every week, but it is a great way to spice up (no pun intended!) the week! It will take a place in the rotation.



Gobi Matar Sabzi
Original recipe from my veggie world

- 1 big onion ground to a fine paste
- 1 big tomato pureed
- 1 tsp ground ginger --> I used 1t of fresh, minced ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or minced fresh garlic, 1-2 cloves)
- 1 tsp green chili paste --> I used on 1/2 tsp of my stock curry paste, & wowza! It was spicy! I will tone it down next time
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- 1 cup cleaned cauliflower florets
- salt to taste (between 1 tsp and 1 TBSP)
- pinch of turmeric
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 3 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp oil
- chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil (mediumish heat). Add onion paste and fry till cooked or until raw smell disappears. Add ginger, garlic (if using fresh), green chili paste and saute for one minute. Add tomato puree and cook till paste is thick. Add powdered spices and salt. Stir then add vegetables. Cover and simmer over medium heat until cauliflower is tender [about 15 minutes on low/med]. Add chopped fresh cilantro prior to serving.

Serve with basmati rice, with fresh cilantro added to the rice just prior to serving.