#indian

Naan Bread

Theresa Pizarro

Happy New Year everyone!

Totally late and I apologize for not posting in a long time! It’s hard to find time now that everyone is so busy!

Thank you to my wonderful reader Joyce Ciotti for asking for this recipe! I had it typed up and almost ready to post so, here you go!! I hope you’ll like it!

Perfect as a side for any Indian inspired meal, used in a sandwich wrap, or even eaten plain, these naan breads are a breeze to make!

I had purchased my first naan bread frozen from Trader Joe’s. It was smeared in garlic butter and only required heating it up or toasting it before serving. It was so good!

I had read somewhere that they sometimes stuff these with Laughing Cow cheeses so since I had it in the refrigerator, I ate some with cheese and some plain. Both were so good I couldn’t stop eating it!

I love making breads and baking in general so I thought it was time I make my own naan. I found several recipes and tried a couple of it.

Here is a recipe that uses the Thermomix to make the naan with hardly any effort on your part. Don’t worry, there is instruction on how to make it without the Thermomix right below!

Hope you’ll enjoy it!

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Look at the heart shaped char on the bread!

Ingredients:

For the naan:

For topping:

  • 450 grams unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons dried yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoons sugar
  • 30 grams Olive oil or Canola oil
  • 190 grams warm water
  • 90 grams Greek yogurt

For topping/serving:

  • Ghee or garlic butter to brush on bread
  • Cheese, optional

Procedure:

  1. Place all ingredients for the naan bread into the Thermomix bowl and mix for 6 seconds on speed 5.
  2. Set to Knead for 2 1/2 minutes.
  3. Leave dough in the bowl, with the measuring cup in place, at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  4. Roll dough into sausage shape and divide into 6 even portions. You can use the thermomix’s scale function to weigh the dough and divide it into 6, to get evenly sized dough balls. Roll each portion into a thin, oval shape.
  5. Place dough onto a hot, ungreased grill or fry pan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side then flip to cook the other side.
  6. Brush with ghee or garlic flavored butter. Serve plain or stuff with cheese.

* To make without the Thermomix:

Place all ingredients for the naan bread in a large mixing bowl and mix using a wooden spoon or spatula until it comes together. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Return to the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic warp and let rest at least an hour, or until doubled in size. Continue with procedure #4 to #6.

Trader Joe’s Thai Style Yellow Curry Sauce

Theresa Pizarro2 Comments

I love the convenience of bottled simmer sauces that are becoming available at the grocery stores. They are truly life savers for when you come home late from work and need something on the dinner table real quick. The trick is finding out which ones you like, which means trying out a few brands.

I’ve always been lucky with almost anything I get at Trader Joe’s. They’re reasonably priced and always delicious, but sometimes you get hooked but you can never get it again. I had some favorite cheeses and sauces that was not available anymore when I came back for more. Sad.

So if I see something I want to try, I usually buy a couple to start with. They do have expiration dates so I cannot really get a dozen or so as we will get tired of it if I cook it too often. 😊

So…this is my most recent find!

I’ll cook this with some cut up chicken, garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and a couple of bell peppers from the garden.

You can definitely eyeball the amounts and adjust anything to your taste.

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Begin by preparing all of your ingredients. I used the following:

1-2 tablespoons oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 pound of chicken breast, cubed

1 big potato, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into half moons

A handful of mushrooms, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 bottle of Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Sauce

Water

Freshly cooked rice and chopped cilantro, for serving

1. Heat oil in a saucepan. Sauté garlic and onions until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned. Next add the potatoes and carrots. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

3. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and bell pepper.

4. Pour the curry sauce over. Fill the bottle halfway with water, cover and shake to get every last bit of the delicious sauce, open the bottle then pour contents into the pan.

5. Stir the mixture and cover with a lid. Lower heat to medium low and simmer until chicken and vegetables are done, around 10-20 minutes.

6. Serve over freshly cooked, hot rice. Top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Electric Lunchbox #42: Aloo Matar (Potatoes and Peas Curry)

Theresa Pizarro4 Comments

We’re making Indian food today! And it’s vegetarian too!

This recipe is made from potatoes and peas, cooked in a tomato based sauce with garlic, ginger, onion, cumin, coriander, etc. then sprinkled with cilantro just before serving. Yum!

I like to cook the spices with oil on the stove to release all the lovely aromas, caramelize the onion, and take the edge off the garlic and ginger. I think this little extra step will give you a more flavorful dish than my usual “place everything in the bowl and cook” recipes. Specially since this is a vegetarian dish, I definitely encourage you to follow this step.

After sautéing the spices, you can cool and add them to the bowl and take it to work if you’re cooking at work. Otherwise, do as I did and just add it to the prepared vegetables in the bowl and cook. It will taste amazing, I promise!

*NOTE that this recipe uses regular sized measuring cups, NOT the tiny Itaki cup, unless specified.*

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I only had seeds, so I had to crush it first.

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup peas

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

120 ml (3 little cups) of water for the base

Chopped cilantro, to serve

*An optional step is to combine the spices and salt in a food processor and whirl until it becomes powdery. I only had whole coriander seeds, so I crushed it then run it through the food processor with the other spices to blend. *

1. Heat a pan over medium low heat. Add oil, then add coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, turmeric, and ginger. Stir until fragrant. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until wilted and slightly browned. Set aside. *You can leave it in the refrigerator at this stage and add the potatoes, peas, and water when ready to cook.*

2. Place potatoes and peas in the big bottom bowl of the electric lunchbox. Pour the sautéed mixture over and add tomato paste and salt.

3. When ready to cook, pour 1 cup water in the bowl and stir everything together until the tomato paste dissolves.

4. Place the bowl in the base of the electric lunchbox and add 120 ml water to the base. Cover and let steam until done, about 55 minutes.

5. Carefully open the lunchbox and check the potatoes for doneness, it should be tender yet not falling apart.

6. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice, or flat bread.

5. Enjoy!

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