Methi Naan #BreadBakers

Methi Naan #Bread Bakers

Theme: Flatbreads with Yeast or Starter

   When Sonia who blogs at Sonilicious suggested we make flatbreads with yeast or starter, I got busy looking through my bookmarked recipes and searching the internet. You know when you have too much chose, it becomes all that more difficult to choose. Its not like our only “big” supermarket in Mombasa, where if you get shampoo it may be only a Dabur one and then a conditioner say from L’Oreal to go with it…that’s it. What a combination. If you really don’t mind walking the side alleys where vendors occupy the pavements and you have to share the narrow road with tuktuks, cars, lorries dropping of goods and handcarts to get to small cosmetic shops to buy what shampoo you need then that all good. However, if you don’t want to go through all the hassle then you might as well use an Indian make shampoo and a French make conditioner!

   Okay, I know I got a bit side tracked. I had a list of yeast flatbreads (poor Princess is hibernating! You know my sourdough starter) that I wanted to try. Hubby saw the list and asked what is this…a shopping list! When I told him that these are the choices I have to make flatbreads for the upcoming theme, he asked “and where is Naan?” Its then I realized that I have not as yet blogged a typical naan recipe. I have a multigrain one.  So Naan it was. Usually, I don’t prepare Naan at home. If I make a nice exotic curry then I serve it parathas. Whenever I prepare a curry dish in Montreal, I just buy the Naan from Metro as its super soft and delicious.

   I’m so glad I made Naans at home as they turned out really soft and delicious. Delicious because I love Methi Naans. Methi is the Hindi word for fresh Fenugreek. That’s one green that I get throughout the year without any problems. Also instead of turning on the oven, as its unbearably hot in Mombasa, and we’re desperately waiting for the rains, I decided to make them on the stovetop. You can bake them in the oven at 200°C. 

METHI NAAN
Makes 8

3 cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
2 tsp instant dry active yeast
1tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ cup oil, vegetable or olive oil
½ cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
½ – ⅔ cup warm milk

For topping:
½ cup finely chopped fresh fenugreek
some butter

extra flour for dusting

1. Add the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a big bowl and mix.
2. Add oil and rub it into the flour.
3. Mix yogurt and milk.
4. Add the liquid to the flour.
5. Bring the flour together into a dough.
6. Dust the worktop with some flour.
7. Take the dough out of the bowl onto the floured worktop.
8. Knead the dough till it becomes smooth and soft but not sticky. You don’t need to knead it as much as a bread dough.
9. Shape the dough into a ball.
10. Grease the bowl with some oil or butter.
11. Put the dough in the bowl. Rub oil or butter over it.
12. Cover with a tea towel or a cling film and let it rise till its double in size. Mine took about an hour.
13. Gently deflate the dough and cut it into 8 parts.
14. Roll each part into a ball.
15. Heat a non stick pan or griddle pan over medium heat.
16. Roll the dough into a circle, the thickness should be about 1/8″. 
17. Put the rolled circle onto the hot pan. 
18. Let it cook till you see bubbles.
19. Flip it over gently and let it cook till light brown specks are formed.
20. Using tongs put the naan over the naked flame, let it puff up.
21. Flip it over to the other side and remove immediately.
22. Repeat steps 15- 21 with the remains dough. Steps 20 and 21, you want to work fast if you don’t want the naan to burn.
23. Mix chopped methi (fenugreek) with some butter.
24. Apply the fenugreek butter on top of the naan and serve it hot.