May 21, 2008

Dhaba style Naan from a Jewish Baker's recipe with Chicken curry

PHEW!! I never had more hectic and stressful days in my whole life like the past 3 weeks!! My daughter had 6 AP exams and 2 EOC tests, (she is done with all her HS credits a year early except English 12, is being sent to University by the county free of charge next year instead of 12th grade), her Immunization record is updated with 2 new shots for college, a half day of exhausting University tour on a very sunny Monday with class registration, college ID etc for Fall 2008 class as a "High School visiting Student" and my son went thru' 3 EOG exams (7th grade) himself this week and a booster Varicella shot for him too. To top it all, I sprained my left Index finger yesterday and I have no clue how and when that happened until I saw the swelling and felt the pain! :P
Now we are almost home free and school ends on June 12th! Hurray until Aug 25th! Looks like I am back to regular Wednesday posts again like before too! :D

Oh well..so be it. Here they are, my newly discovered recipe for almost Dhaba style soft sour dough Naans! Dhabas are small Punjabi road side restaurants in India, very much like "Truck stop" restaurants here in US which serve authentic, delicious and inexpensive food!
You know how I am always on the look out for that elusive restaurant style Naans? I have tried and posted 4 types of Naan recipes so far, usually tried from Indian cookbooks with satisfying but "not yet there" results! This time I found this "Dhaba style" Naan recipe in a Book called "Secrets of a Jewish Baker" by George Greenstein which has traditional Jewish breads along with other World breads and these sour dough naans taste almost like restaurant naans. If I had a Tandoor which heats up to 1000+F temp. at home like the restaurants, these would look perfect. Alas! My oven goes only up to 550F but I am mighty pleased with these naans! They taste excellent with my fragrant Chicken curry or use the gravy recipe with Koftas or veggies for vegetarian curry treat with these Naans. Hope you give it a try!:)

Dhaba style Naans with Chicken curry, made with coconut milk and Almond gravy:

Naans Stacked up!
Sri reminded me of her "Roti Mela" event which going on in full swing right now. I am sending my Naans to Srivalli from "Cooking 4 all seasons" blog for "Roti mela" as well. Have fun Sri! :)

Fermented sour dough starter of flour and yogurt:
(made 24hrs in advance at room temp.)
For sour dough starter, you Need:
1 cup plain Yogurt or Sour cream or Buttermilk, 1/2 Cup plain flour, a pinch of dry yeast or 1 small piece leftover dough if you have made the dough earlier instead of yeast.

How to start:
Mix all the above well to a smooth paste in a glass bowl and leave it on counter top for 24hrs without covering the bowl (very important, do not cover it!) and let it ferment.
Note: If you want the Naans for 6pm dinner next day, mix the starter day before at 4pm and next day at 4pm, add it to make the Naan dough. Make sure to save a large marble size dough for next starter or make the starter again.


How to make these Naans:
You need: Add all the above sour dough starter, 1 Egg (skip if you are a vegetarian), 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 3 cups to 3 1/2 cups of plain flour or enough to make a smooth dough, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt.

To make Naans:
1. In a large bowl or in stand mixer bowl, add all the starter, 1 Egg (skip if you are a vegetarian), 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 3 cups or 3 1/2 cups of plain flour enough to make a smooth dough, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, mix them well with flat beater or by hand until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
2. With kneader attachment or by hand, knead the dough very well for 6 mins until the dough is smooth, soft and silky to touch.
3. Brush some oil allover the dough, cover the bowl and let it double in size in a warm plave for 1 hour or more. After rising, punch down and divide into 6-8 balls. Cover again and let it rest for 15mins.
While it rising for the second time, turn on the oven to your highest setting ie 550F. Place a Pizza stone if you have it in the oven.
4. Roll each Naan to about 1/8" thin 6" circle, pull one side to a tear shape, place on square foil sprayed with no-stick oil. You can bake 2 at a time.
5. When the oven is ready, place the foil with Naans on the Pizza stone using a Pizza peeler if you have it or on a non-stick baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 2 mins or until you see the golden bubbles on Naans.
DO NOT OVER BAKE which makes them crispy. If you want more color on top, turn the oven to grill and let the top get some color or lift the foil with the Pizza peeler closer to top of the grill. The base should be soft and bubbles you get on top should be crispy, a sign of a great Naan!:)
7. Take them out, brush some butter or Garlic butter with cilantro and cool and store until you need them. Repeat with others in the same way.
Almost Dhaba style soft Naans are ready! :)

Pile of Naans!
To make delicious Chicken curry:
(Make the fragrant gravy and add veggies to make it vegetarian)
You Need: 8 Chicken Drumsticks or use white and dark boneless chicken, 1 tbsp Butter+1 tbsp oil, 1 small Onion finely chopped, 1/4 tsp Turmeric, 1 tsp sugar,1 Cup of thick canned Coconut Milk.
Roast and powder:
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds, 2-3 dry red Chillies or add cayenne pepper pd or Kashmiri chilli pd to gravy, no need to roast and grind, 1 tsp Aniseeds, 1 tsp Cumin Seeds, 1" Dalchini/Indian Cinnamon, 3 Cloves, 1 Cardamom Pod seeded, a piece of Star Anise or Mace, 1/2 tsp Pepper Corns, 3 tbsp Almonds, skinless or blanched.
To grind:
2 Onions,chopped, roasted until reddish, add 1" ginger, 2 Garlic Cloves, 2 Tomato or 1 cup Tomato sauce, grind these to paste.
For garnish: Few Lemon slices or 1 tsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp chopped Cilantro.

How to make the chicken curry:
1. Heat oil and butter in a non-stick pan, fry finely chopped onion until reddish. Add ground onion, ginger, garlic etc and fry for 5 mins. Put in all the powdered spices, turmeric, stir fry till oil shows on top.
2. Add in chicken, stir fry for a minute. Add 1 cup water, sugar, bring to boil and turn down the heat to low, cook covered for 10 mins until chicken is tender on low heat.I use pressure pan on very low heat to cook for 1 whistle, so I don't burn the burn the bottom of the dish.
3. Uncover, mix well. Turn down the heat to low if it's not already and add coconut milk, mix. Simmer gently for 5 mins. Gravy should little thicker to help scoop with Naan.
3. Garnish with Cilantro and squeeze some lemon juice before serving or serve with lemon slices.
4. Serve with Naan and cucumber Raita/salad.
One more look:
Enjoy!:)

*****************************************************************************************************************
Book: "The Blood of Flowers" by Anita Amirrezvani.
The author was born in Tehran, Iran but raised and educated in US, a Iranian-American. She went to Iran and researched the history for this book. This is a beautifully written book with lot of stories inside the story, describes the Iranian culture, LOT about beautiful, plush Carpets and it's impact on many lives, shocking practice of "renting brides" thru' temporary "marriage contract", the young girl's struggle to survive and feed herself and her mom and how she succeeds to be free of "Sigheh" and earns enough to survive solely by her skills of carpet making in the end !
The story is set in 1620s when Shah of Iran was ruling, gives an insight to culture and practices of Iranians at that time. Story revolves around a 14yr old girl, the only child of poor but loving family. It tells us about her life and coming of age as it unfolds after the sudden death of her father. She moves to another city with her mother to her Uncle's house where mom and daughter were treated as servants. While there, she also learns the secrets of Carpet weaving from her uncle, which only men are privileged to learn and learns to weave the most beautiful carpets with most unique color dyed wool and also gets abused by her aunt.
At 15, she was forced to "marry" a much older man for just 3 month's contract by her aunt who gets paid by this rich old man as "bride price" citing a common practice called "sigheh" and her mom says she has to do this to help her and the family members! About 10% of the book is very sexually explicit. I am not a prude but it made me very uncomfortable to read how a poor 15yr old girl trying so hard to seduce an old man just to please him so he extends the contract for 3 more months so she can please her family!
Personally for me it was ugh!.., even though "Sigheh" (a temporary "marriage" contracts, for a day or month or few month's for money!) was acceptable, but kept secretive in that society in the 17th century!! How awful and what a degradable responsibility for a child, all that for money!! Author says this practice is still goes on there to some extent although not as common as in 1600s! How sad!!
Anyway, when old man tries to renew his 'Marriage" for the third time, she dares to refuse to be his "bride" anymore since her own best friend, also a 15yrs old girl, is legally forced to get married to the same man
as one of his wives and about to produce a son for him! As a result of her refusal, she gets her jaw broken by the uncle and along with her mom gets thrown of the Uncle's home. Her own mother gets very angry with her and humiliates her for her lack of compassion for the family, makes her feel guilty for not accepting the "marriage" and of course his money!!
They move into a home of her uncle's servant, begs for money and food on the streets to survive, gets offers of "marriage" for a day from men. But she refuses the offers and finally, she goes back to her Uncle and begs him to get her some wool to make Carpets, which he does and at the end of the story, she sells her beautifully designed carpets to women of Shah's Harem, who are her biggest clientèle, which makes her rich enough to keep her mom happy again! I bet her mother didn't win any "MOM of the year" award anytime!:P
Except for "those" few chapters, it's a great read which tells a beautiful imaginative vivid story of carpets, women bonding in the bath houses and bazaars. I learned a lot about a culture. But I will not be keeping this book at home in my collection though. I don't want my kids to read it, will donate to the local library. For adults, it's a fascinating book keeps you glued to the story! Hope you read this Summer! :)
No movie until Memorial day holiday!
Dishes I tried last week:

I am very very attracted to traditional dishes in all your blogs most of the time and I absolutely love it when some recipes reminds me of my grandmothers' dishes like Mudare Kanni here. Thanks for hunting it down to post Linda and thanks to all of you who posted these wonderful traditional recipes. We are practically eating dishes from other blogs for atleast 4 days a week now! I have bookmarked so many, the list scares me! :D

Coorg style Mudare Kanni from Linda's blog.(I used Hurulikalu/Horse gram/Kollu)
Tausha Idli from RC's blog.
Pudina Pachadi with peanuts from Indira's blog.
Muttai Kuzhambu from Purl's blog.
Set Dosa and veg curry from Sagari's blog.
Thengai Vengayam chutney from Kalai's bog.
Rajma from Mandira's blog.
Kalayile Phovu with Phova Pittu from Shilpa's blog.
Saibhaji from Jyotsna's blog.
Kolombo with Kolombya Pitto from Maya's blog.
Onion-Tomato sauce Kulcha from Jayashree's blog.
Ulli Kozhi from Shaheen's blog.
Have a great week while I hunt for more dishes in your blogs! :)

124 comments:

Rachel said...

Those were some hectic days..hope your finger is better...

Love the perfect shape your naans have..I tend to overbake my naans for that perfect colour and end up with crispy naans...

deepsat said...

Yummy recipes Asha!! I hav forgotten those Dhaba food!!

Great to hear about your smart kids!!

Take care of your hand!!!

;-))

indosungod said...

Asha, Trisha must be one hard worker and don't know how she carries the load but ofcourse one thing I know for sure the nutrition she gets is First Class :)
Love the naans you whip up Asha. Look soft and with the Chicken curry and I am going into craving mode.

Unknown said...

Yippee .. i am the first to comment.Loved the look of those naans.From jewish book huh?.You make my life a lot easier when u experiment with these recipe and make it a success and share it with us.chicken curry looks delicious,esply with that leg :)
I am gonna try that naan soon.Btw dhaba was my hanghen i was in chennai.

Congrats to both kids.Trisha is going off to college soon huh?.Wishes to her and the proud mom.

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Asha you have really had a wild few weeks. Sorry to hear about the finger but I see it has not stopped you from cooking up a feast. Those Naans look incredible! A must try for sure!

FH said...

Rachel, I do that ie crisping the Naans! D
This time I was watching then like a Hawk!:)

Hi Satish, next best thing to do is cook ALMOST like Dhaba food!:D

Trisha is great Indo, absolutely no push from us to do anything but all her efforts to get into Med school. Arvind is worried that she doesn't have a boyfriend yet and she says those HS boys are all so stupid! Hahaha!
I prefer her rather wait until college to do all that extra curricular activities!:D

FH said...

Mahesh, I know!! Of all the naans I have so far tried are from the Indian books, this guy has the best recipe in his Jewish bread book! :D
This year, she will be commuting to college as a visiting student from home but next year for 2009-2010 class will be the REAL college, living in the dorm etc! Time flies!:)

Haha! Meeta, I would have to cook and clean even with a broken hand and leg and fever anyway! I feel guilty to rest and take it easy!;D
Fortunately, it's left hand finger, so not bad but might not cook too many this week though.
Hope you try this Naan, easy and better recipe than naans I made before!:))

Sreelu said...

Asha, naan loos so good, its a must try.You have raised smart kids, congrats on her admission. Hope you feel better with your index finger.

kamala said...

Ashaji i too have the same in left index finger.Take care.Great to hear abt Trisha.Love the Daba style naan and chicken gravy.Sure i will try.

Purnima said...

Asha, truly hectic..glad for ur kids! Also hope the finger is now normal..the naan looks pur-feccct! The excerpt frm book 'Sigh-eh??' Dhaba word brought back some nice memories!tks for this post, collage looks awesome!

FH said...

Oh, thank you Sreelu. Most kids are just born smart, we just help them to realize their dreams!:)
It's bandaged stiff,not that bad except can't cook as efficiently!:D

Kamala, thank God it's left hand. Imagine it on right hand, can't do most thing!:D
Strangest thing is I don't even know what I did to cause the sprain, guess I was too busy to notice!:P

Purni, isn't that "Sigheh" sends a chill in your heart? I felt very uncomfortable reading about it although the story is fabulously written and I couldn't put down the book!
Dhaba is dream for us all here. May be they have one or two like that in NY? Got to look!:)

J said...

Thankyou for trying the saibhaji and hope you enjoyed it!:) I must try naan ....now which of the 4-5 recipes must I try?? I like the chicken gravy....ummmm! hope your finger is fine now.

Godluck to Trisha and the mom for all that hardwork!:)

Unknown said...

Hi asha, had a nice time reading through the review of the book, how shocking it is to find about the bride-renting business !! I have seen this movie called "Not without my daighter" Its a different story, but very true.
Loved the fresh, hot tandoori nans!! Wow you made it in your oven,and it came out so good, then deifnitly I am in for it:) The chicken curry (that leg piece surely made me go "oooh" for the curry ;)) .....Hey Ulli kozhi from shaheen looks very nice, the name itself is cute :))

Unknown said...

Hey one more thing, congrats to Trisha for covering such a milestone in her life:) I definitly wish both your kids good luck ! You must be so proud about them:) and they are indeed lucky to have a caring mother who is a terrific cook:)

Cham said...

I can imagine how busy u were? without even knowing the finger pain :) U r a great Mom Asha. Love the Chicken and naan, never tried at home naan! Love the chicken leg, is it for me u served? Hope ur finger gets better, and warm wishes for ur daugh Trish and son too :)

FH said...

J, Saibhaji was scrumptious! Some dishes when I see them on blogs immediately attracts me, this is one one of those, loved it. Thanks!:)
Try this Naan, sour dough gives it a unique taste, other Naans are good breads, this is NAAN!:D

Roopa, I have seen that movie too with Actress Sally, right? Scary if a educated man abuses his wife just because she is out of her own safe country!
Chicken Drumsticks have excellent flavor, try it. Ulli Kozhi was finger licking good, be sure to make it, uses loads of onions, taste buttery!:)
Thanks Roopa. Credit goes 100% to Trisha, she works like a dog to achieve all that! Real graduating college is after 12th grade when she moves out of our home in Fall 2009, will surely miss her terribly!:)

TheCooker said...

Hats off super mom!

ChrisB said...

Asha your children are a credit to you, and you and your husband must be so proud of their efforts.
They have a lovely long summer vacation, the children here in the UK don't get that long.

The book you mention sounds very interesting. It's so sad the way some young girls were and still are treated in some cultures.

Prema Sundar said...

Congrats to ur kids Asha...
Just now came from curried coconut chicken from sagari's blog and here I see another chicken. Though I dont cook NV at home I love chicken curries . I really crave for some now.naans and curry look perfect

Pearlin said...

wow sounds like a busy week and ouch that finger must hurt.You must be so proud about your daughter!!!
The pictures of food I see here always makes me hungry :))
Thanks for trying out the muttai kuzhambu.The picture is Beautiful.

FH said...

Thanks TC, hugs to you! Just checked out one of your dishes to make!:))

Thanks Chris, fortunately they have a good head on their shoulders!:)
Vacation is too long Chris, don't have any idea what we are going to do after 10days of vacation.
If their respective govts turns blind eye to all these unfair practices, I think it will go on for another few centuries, abuse never stops! I can't even imagine being in that situation for survival! Scary!

FH said...

Cham, grab one girl!:D
I like dark meat, gives wonderful flavor to dishes!:))

Prema,thank you!:)
This curry is similar to Kari Ayam, a Malaysian curry with my slight changes since we don't get Galangal etc, really tasty!

I am proud Purl, nice to have kids who wants to become something in life and work for it too!:)
Your curry was delicious. Adding broken eggs to the gravy was brilliant, never made that way before. Thanks!:))

Anonymous said...

That looks so good Asha.I hope your finger is better now.

sra said...

Hey Asha, your finger feeling better? Your naans look realy good!
Going away for the summer?

FH said...

Hope you try Neema. My finger is stiff in bandage!:D

Hi sra, finger not that bad but it takes time to heal, that's all!:)
Yeah, as usual when kids are home for 3+months in Summer, got to plan to go somewhere for 10days or so. Gas(petrol) price is so expensive these days, scary to drive very far,haven't planned yet!

sunita said...

Asha,hope your finger's feeling better...the naans look gorgeous :-)

So, the summer hols are coming up already? Ours do not start till the end of July.

sunita said...

And wishing Trisha all the very best :-)

ranji said...

delicious stack of naans asha!!even i make naans at home now.. recipe from aparna's diverse kitchen....what a yummy cicken curry to accompany that...simply delcious
banana skins are not at all bitter..atleast to my taste..they are very mild in flavor and has a nice nuttiness to it...a simple stir fry tastes gr8 with rice and dal..hope u try it one day.

Nanditha Prabhu said...

you seem to have raised smart kids :)
you pile of nan looks great....

FH said...

Thanks Sunita. Hope you try the Naans!:)
Yeah, Summer hols are too long here, kids get bored to death and forget everything they learned, not good!
My nightmare starts when she starts to drive to college 25miles on the Highway in Aug, I am loosing sleep now!:P

Ranji, post your naans one day, more recipe the better, I will check Aparna's too. Chicken curry is always fab with soft Naans.
I just threw Plantain skins away y'day, wish I knew. I will definitely try next time!:)

Thank you NP, sometimes we get lucky.Looking at other teenagers at her school, I must say she is doing very well so far!:D
Try the Naans.

Priya said...

Dhaba food r always delicious Asha. Mouth watering:)

Richa said...

gravy looks very good!
enjoy the long wknd :)

ranji said...

hi asha!!i have posted them already ..long back..when i just started my blog..they came out really well..it was aparna's recipe.here is the link
http://rbcuisines.blogspot.com/2008/03/naan.html

ranji said...

and sorry for not mentioning u earlier in my post ,i have added u now ;)...chk it out :)

Meera said...

Gosh, you were really busy. Hope your finger gets better soon. Those naans look heavenly. Thanks for the review of the book.

Jamie said...

Asha, the Naans look great! Hope your days get less hectic very soon!

notyet100 said...

dont have tandoor here..socant try naans but the combolooks delicious,..survive on the precoked nan here,.heat and eat ones,..

Srivalli said...

Wonderful Asha!...both are yummy!...must've been very hectic I can imagine!...my you have some patience...

do send me those naans for the roti mela...:)

TBC said...

Hope the finger's better now.
I love dhabha-style food.:)
Is there anything u don't make at home, Asha?:D

KonkaniBlogger said...

Well, all tht running round has surely paid off, with both ur kids doing so well Asha. You must be really proud and lucky too in this age to have such good kids. Hope ur finger is all better now. Naans and the chicken curry look great, Dhabas reminded me our hangout near Kanakapura Rd in B'lore where we used to go all the way sometimes just to eat tht food :). And nice to see you tried the Kolombo, hope u liked it.

Sunshinemom said...

Wow, those naans look great. Congratulate your kids for me and look after that finger! The book review was good, though I do not think I will read it anymore.

Unknown said...

Naan looks perfect..am tempted now..will be making them soon...mmm

Ann said...

Hi Asha - you really do seem to be a super mom - this looks like such a tatsy combo, the nans look so perfect, i am tempted to try! Congrats to your daughter.

Uma said...

Wow, you have made these many recipes even with such hectic days? Your kids are smart like you! Take care of your finger. All recipes look delicious.

Jayashree said...

"almost" perfect, eh??? Looks good to me.....I too am in the quest for "the" naan recipe....have tried a few so far.....
Thank u for trying my kulcha....did u like it???

Seena said...

Asha,
How are you,girl??? :)

Am fine, now doing some ayurveda trtmt for the old problems..

Nan looks good to tryout, thanks for the recipe.
Congrats to Trisha on her achievement, my regards to her.. :)

Swati Raman Garg said...

it feels s good to read ur post... and love d beautiful shapr ur nans have taken .. they look more healthy n softer than those dhaba nans...

so u r gonig to b super free from 11th june huh... keep hopping by my blog.. its a pleasure to have u around.. i swear...

delhibelle said...

fab naans and the curry looks like perfect foil for shahi paneer too.Good for us that you managed to dig out the perfect naan recipe:) and yeah,congrats to both the kids. Way to go !

jayasree said...

Liked the idea of preparing the sour dough started. Shall try this method.
Ashakka, Congrats to ur daughter and to you too for ur wonderful upbringing.

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Hope you're better now. And happy to know the kids are doing well.
Your naans look good. Must the long time for proving that makes them so soft.
Will try this some time.

SMN said...

Ashakka the naan luks really nice with a nice shape.. and its really long time i didnt eat in a dabha..

FH said...

Thanks Priya, Richa, Ranji, Meera and Jamie, enjoy!:)

Ranji, I was just joking about me not guessing at all, you don't have to add! HeHe!I will check out the Naan!:)

FH said...

NT100, my oven goes up to 550F, wish I had Tandoor too!:)
Tbc (Yes! do not cook many Fish dishes :D),I will be blogging tomorrow!:)
Maya, thanks. Kids do well most of the time, throw tantrums sometime but not that bad!:D
Sri(take the URL and stacked Naan photo Sri, might send tomorrow but not today:D)
Thanks Smom, hope you try!:)
Try Sowmya, make sure it ferments well!:)

FH said...

Thank you Zaara,there is nothing better to hear that from moms!:)

Got to eat everyday Uma. I just choose dishes from others to try and for the new taste, cooking is relaxing too on stressful days!:)

Kulcha was colorful, tangy and had excellent texture Jaya, thank you so much for posting!:))

Seena, I am doing lot better now, it's easing a bit and I am not frowning anymore!:D
Wish you a speedy recovery, take it easy. Hugs!:)

Swati, kids will be home and got a few dental and eye appointments, after that I am free to blog 3 days a week until our Summer vacation.I will be visiting everyone of you until then!:))

FH said...

DB, perfect curry for Paneer and Koftas as well, hope you try. I am always eager to find to new dishes and glad to share!:)

Thanks Jaya, hope you try the Naan.I will be in your blog later looking for something!!:D

Aparna, I think so. Souring the paste really gives it a nice taste and texture.Had to learn it from a Jewish baker, huh? He is really good!
I will be trying your Naan too, Ranji has posted it!:))

Sushma, get to that Dhaba girl! you are lucky atleast you can go there! Us, poor things have to keep on experimenting to get that at home!:D

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha, glad to hear you can shift back down to fourh gear for awhile! ;) It's a busy job, those kids. Great news and congrats to them both! And rest your typing finger :)

Naans look really lovely... I haven't tried making those in a long time. Chicken curry gravy sounds great, and happy to hear you tried the coorg gravy, too! :)

Laavanya said...

That does sound like a very busy few weeks.. You must be so relieved now.. and congrats once again to Trisha.

I think you have the most number of recipes/methods for Naan... This looks great and dhaba food always holds a special place in my heart (and tummy) :)

Daily Meals said...

The naans are looking yummy and crispy Asha!

FH said...

Linda, you must be very busy these days at school too, almost ending and all those tests to deal with. Take care of yourself, it's very stressful.Yeah, I probably am operating on second gear now!:D
Mudare Kanni was so authentic, I loved it. Thanks again.Have a relaxing weekend!:))

Thanks Laavanya. This is the fifth Naan I think, trying Aparna's Naan too! More the better!:)

Thanks Vijaya. First batch I baked a bit longer, then learnt to take them out little early. They shouldn't be very crisp. Hope you try!:)

Mishmash ! said...

I can almost smell those naans, asha.....some posts and some pics just torture me early in the morning itself....:(

:)
Shn

Sagari said...

naans look perfect ashaji , would have tasted great with chicken curry

Recipeswap said...

hope your finger is healing well.
yummy dhaba food!

Pooja said...

dhaba style naan makes me drool...........:D. Give me some now :((..........
good luck to both kids.. I am sure they will come up with the best :).
Take care of yourself to buddy, and pamper your finger a little , get a break from cooking and enjoy eating out for few days :)
hugs to you.

FH said...

Yeah shn, most of dishes kill me every time I look at them too! Hahaha!! See you tomorrow, planting some Gourd seeds today, weather is good!:)

It does make a great pair Sagari.
I LOVED your set dosas girl, can't believe how close it is as I remember Mysore set doses i used to eat, thank you!:)

Thanks Neema. My inger is lot better, got stiff bandage,so it will be okay within a day or so!:)

Hugs to you Pooja, thank you!:)
Oh, it's just left hand finger,no big deal. It's almost back to norma. Kids are in school still, so got to stay home and cook as usual, no break for me!:D

Suganya said...

Hi Asha....
That was a nice post. It looks excatly like dhaba naan... Love the chicken curry too.

Mallika said...

Poor you Asha. Hope your finger is better soon. Can I say that he naans look awesome! What a great place to find the recipe...

Anonymous said...

Wow...the naans look so soft and delicious and the chicken curry is making me drool :)

Diamond and Pearl said...

Wow! wondering how it feels when your little girl goes to college, my 3 kids' ages range from 3-9! And the naan recipe, genius, I say!

Shionge said...

Yes we all have our hectic days sometimes Asha, glad that you are cooking a storm after that :D

Take care and have a great weekend ahead :D

Suganya said...

Many congratulations to your daughter, Asha. I have bookmarked naan recipe. Will try it and let you know. Meantime, you take good care of your finger :)

Uma said...

Hi Asha,

I have something for you! Please do check my blog! Hope you like it!

Viji said...

Lovely naan Asha. The tips are quite useful. Thanks. Viji

Anonymous said...

you need an award for the largest number of naan recipes ever on a single blog.

take care of your finger.

Lakshmi said...

I love those naans. Chicken is not something I eat. Only veg section.. :D I have emailed you something. Do check.

bha said...

nice rememberance of the dhaba eating.....the naans look soft

Shilpa said...

You guys are bad..you make those delicious looking naans and I haven't made them even once :((. They are on my to-do list for a long time now. I think I will have to try them soon if I want to sleep well :D.

Thanks for trying out phovu :).
How do u manage to cook so many things in a week Asha?

FH said...

Thanks Sukanya!:)

Mallika, it's just a puny little sprain, I am good!:D

Thanks HC, hope you try!:)

Hi D&P, oh it's a torture,specially if they are driving to college everyday. I feel like throwing up every time she leaves home, very scary!
REAL college for her comes next year in Fall 2009, she moves out of home at that time, this time she is a commuting student from home!:)
Yeah, they grow up too fast!

FH said...

Hi Shi, now I know how you felt with the hurt finger!:D
Glad my hectic days are over, kids will be home from next month. Take care Shi, have a great weekend!:))

Thanks Suganya, enjoy the Naans. Don't bake them too long, must be soft!:))

Will do Uma, thanks!:)

You are welcome Viji, I will surfing your blog today. I keep forgetting to check the private blogs!:D

FH said...

Hahaha! Thanks Lakshmi. Hope you try this, can skip the egg. My finger is almost okay, just needed to keep it stiff for a while. Enjoy your weekend!:))

LG, you can make the gravy and add Koftas or veggies, it's really tasty. I will check my mail later, trying to catch up with all the blogs today. We have 3 day weekend this week, yay!:D

Thanks Bha, hope you try the Naans. I am already searching for the next recipe from the book or movie for ya!:))

Anonymous said...

Oh my dear... you have had a hectic couple of weeks! And your finger... ouch! How are you going to type? :)

Here's to the slower days of summer, hopefully!

Take care Asha!

FH said...

Shilpa, you must try the Naan soon girl! It's very easy if you use the mixer to knead etc. If you bake a bread, you make bake Naan easily! Try it this weekend!:)
I cook set dosa from one blog, chutney form another and palya from another, 3 dishes right there!Made your Phovu for snacking one evening!That's how my list goes!:D

Hi Kristen, usually I take a day in my stride but these 3 weeks were really busy, so much work at the same time, made me wish I had a clone!:D
I type mostly with my right hand Index finger but it's hard to chop veggies without the left hand grip!! It's healing already, took a quick action, kept it stiff for 3 days.
Have a fun weekend, 3 days long holidays for everybody!:))

Dalicia said...

hi asha, luckily you missed the tornado. i love naan and pound cake :) yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Finla said...

Your hectic days are over and mine is going to start from June as Shyama will be having her exams.
I have tried few time making naans but it always ended up me saying they are not so soft as we get back at home.
Will try this.
I would love to have them with the chicken curry too.
Trisha must be looking forward to her college days.

krystyna said...

Hi Asha, what a surprise, how did you know that I started blogging? You are my first visitor. You came when I was finishing my post.
Thank you so much!I'll be remember!

And what a surprise - I needed this kind of bread. Generally, I like Jewish recipes.
Thank you for sharing!

krystyna said...

Really stressful days you had.
But I can tell you that the time goes very fast. I remember this kind of days and my kids/2 sons/ now have own kids./I have 2 grandsons/ Enjoy this beautiful time. It never repeat.

Have a beautiful, lovely and happy weekend!

FH said...

Thank God we did miss it D, i's hitting Colorado now! Scary!Naans are always yummy!:))

F, I understand but it will be over quickly and then comes looong "boring" summer holidays!:D
As long as you don't bake it for long, it will be soft, orelse it will be like crackers! Try with half the quantity first.
Trisha will stay home and driving to college for 12th grade/college this Aug. REAL college when moves out of home comes in Aug 2009! That is hard to digest!:)

Krys, I still have you in my blog roll, will be there whenever you are!:))
Great to see you blogging. Happy Mother's day to you. All boys, huh? 2 sons and 2 grandsons! That is lovely.
You are right! Time passes so fast, we will miss this kind of stress too when they all move out of the house to college!
Have a wonderful weekend and have fun. Hugs to you!:))

Andhra Flavors said...

Those naans looks lovely.
Great to hear about your smart kids.

vandana rajesh said...

Yummy naan...that's one gr8 list of dishes u have tried....must have been a real treat i am sure.

Lissie said...

happy to hear that you are relaxed now!
what a yummy combination of chicken curry and freshly baked naans!

Raaga said...

lovely looking naans Ashakka... and great news about Trisha :-) am so happy for you all.

FH said...

Thanks A, we are lucky. Hard work always pays!:)

Vandana, that's true. I get bored cooking the same old food of mine. New tastes are making us very happy!:))

Lissie, LOT more relaxed now. Usually, I don't stressed for small things, but these weeks made me wish I had a clone!:D

Thank you Raaga. Naans were really good, smelled great too!:)

Kamini said...

asha asha, coming to your blog is just like coming home... Not having had enough time to browse/blog myself, it was such a nice comforting feeling to go through your blog after so long.. I just had to tell you that... Great job as usual.

FH said...

Hi Kamini, welcome home! :D
Good to see you after a long time girl, hope you are having fun there. Thank you for visiting, take your time and blog when you can. Hugs to you. Enjoy your weekend!:)

Gattina Cheung said...

mighty combination, mighty delicious!
The naans look very much like cracker-texutre to me, instead of crunchy-but-also-moist-n-chewy alike, or just because the photos... btw, you said good, I know it must be good. After I replace my oven later... tandoor I wish... this recipe is my top priority to do!

FH said...

Gattina, thanks!:)
The first two Naans I baked a bit longer, that's why they are reddish but still softer than crackers.From second batch, I learned to take them out after 2 minutes, came out perfect. You can reheat in the toaster on the lowest setting just before dinner.Hope you try!:)

Bong Mom said...

Hey Asha
Sorry dear, popping in almost a week late :)
Congrats to Trisha, you must be real proud of that girl of yours. All your delicious cooking has well nourished her brain:-D, tell her that !!

musical said...

Dear Ashakka,

Hi! First of all, am really sorry for showing up after ages.....Thanks for all these lovely and heartfelt posts. Love your latest recipe for naan and just like the ones you blogged before, i am gonna' try this one :).Great knowing about the latest from Trisha and Tushaar. They are really cool kids, and you are one cool Mommy :). How was your Mommy's day, btw? Hope you are enjoying a great long weekend.

Missed being here.....

hugs,
musical.

Swati said...

Dear Asha

Hope your finger is better...
Loved the dhaba style nan's.. crispy from outside and soft from inside :))

FH said...

Hi Sandeepa, don't worry about being late, we all have busy days, I understand!:)
Thank you, I will tell Trisha. She deserves all she gets, worked hard for it too. Have a great Monday, relax. I haven't touched the Lappy until today, waiting for rest of them to wake up this morning!:D

Hi Musie, that's okay. You haven't posted any either, so you must very busy. Take your time!:)
Sour dough is new, never made Naan with this before, really good, hope you try.We have 3 day weekend too, getting ready to go shopping, movie etc.Have a good Monday!:)

Swati, my finger has healed, just needed some rest, that's all!:))
Bubbles on top of Naans get crispy, I like that way too, try it. Have a great week!:)

Swati Raman Garg said...

ye ye ye.. ur 100th comment.. thats mine.. and kya famous cheez ho aap .. sahiii.. 100 comments wil remain a dream ;P
ok why i came here... to tell u ki u have a long life to live.. just a min back i was thinking that today is monday .. whether u r there or not.. haha and theres ur comment... u know i have become a fan of urs.. :) chalo sorry for d long comment and keep in touch .. hope ur finger is fine n keep visiting..

FH said...

Swati, 100th comment! YAY!! You just earned a award from me, check my next post! :)))
Finger is okay now. Today is holiday for us here, so taking it easy. Family is still asleep, thought I would visit all the blogs before they wake up!:D
Take your time commenting, better late than never, right? I post here once a week on every Wednesday, so you have got plenty of time. Hugs. Enjoy the week!:))

karmic said...

Food is good as always. I hope you had a great weekend after all this hectic time. How are you doing?

Sig said...

Err... 101 comments already? I feel silly posting a comment after so long... just dropped by to say hi, been a little busy to blog hop lately... Hope you had a lovely long weekend Asha!

Keshi said...

I love Naan bread..whenever I go out to eat Indian, I get some garlic Naan..my fav.

:)

Keshi.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

I will definitely try this naan recipe Asha as I've made naan before and been disappointed. If you made it and liked it - it's good enough for me.

Sounds like you and the children have had an exhausting time. Fast forward a couple of weeks when you can all kick back and relax.

Hope your finger is better too! x

Srivalli said...

asha...just came here to say hi and ask if your finger is fine now and I see I had to scroll so much!!!..heheh...tell me how to manage so many comments..hehehe...take care and enjoy with kids...

FH said...

Hi Sanjay, so glad you are a bit free now. I am doing well. I know everything has become so hectic now, fortunately we had 3 days off to enjoy! Have a great week!:)

That's okay Sig, most of us are busy, take your time. We had a fun weekend, watched movies, shopped etc!:)
Hugs, will see you tomorrow, taking time to read today!:)

Keshi, us too! We get the whole bread basket!:D
It's hard to make restaurant style Naans but one can try to emulate!:D

FH said...

Amanda, this Naan had a a tangy hint of sour dough, texture was much better that my other Naans, hope you try.
Yeah, kids' exams are over, just filling time until the 11th now, lot more stress free, which made my finger heal quickly too. I have been blogging less as well!:))
Take care

Hello dear Sri, good to see you girl. I am always happy to see my blogger buddies here and say hi to them, even if they are late to comment etc, doesn't matter to me as long as I see the familiar names!:)
My finger has healed, just needed some rest I guess,stressed for the time, resulted in pain and aches etc!:D
May be I should change the format to avoid the scroll, let me how I can make it easy. See you tomorrow, reading and cooking today. Hugs!:))

Unknown said...

I hope ur finger is better now.Nice to know about ur kids.
I am going through ur chicken curry ingredients and couldn't resist anymore.The nan looks too good and perfect.You always rock Asha.

FH said...

Thank you Pearl. Chicken curry is great for dipping with Naan, hope you try!:)
Quick bandage to my finger to immobilize it has worked fast, it's fine now. Pretty hard to cook and do all the chores if we get hurt even in a small way, isn't it? :)

Prajusha said...

Asha,
congrats to ur kids..hope u r enjoying vacation with them..Naan looks yummy with the chicken curry

FH said...

Thanks P, we did have fun in the weekend but back to work now!:)

Kalai said...

Those naans look amazing, Ashakka!! Your chicken gravy sounds and looks scrumptious as well! Am glad that you tried my thengai vengayam chutney and thanks so much for the link love! :)

FH said...

Thank YOU for posting all the traditional dishes Kalai, love trying and tasting them!:)
This Chicken curry is very flavorful great to dip with Naans, hope you tr.

Meera said...

Wow, that naan and chicken curry picture is making me so hungry. Naans look so perfect. I am going to try them soon.

FH said...

Hi Meera, good to see you. Are you back from vacation? Do try these,enjoy!:)

Pallavi said...

Wow.. I am always so amazed whenever I visit your blog. I have try like a million things on here. Great pictures and descrptions..

BTW, I have tagged you on a Meme. Check out my blog for more info :)

Pallavi

FH said...

Thank you Pallavi, I do my best.Glad to be appreciated. I will check that tag!:))

amna said...

can this nan be made in the microwave? and btw, i love that grid like pic u have of all the recipes u tried from others :)

FH said...

Hi Nags, good to see you. I am catching up with you today.
I haven't tried making in the MW, so can't tell you but you can try with just one to experiment. Or you can lightly bake on the Tawa and put it in the toaster, comes out well.Got to make the Naans smaller to fit in the toaster!:)

Dee said...

Wow, just what I need. I made some naan for the Roti Mela and it turned out to be a really yummy flat bread, but nothing at all like the naan I have tasted. Then I read this, and it's obviously a sign that I should try again.

Thanks for the very detailed instructions :)

FH said...

Dee, I keep trying to get that perfect Naan too and I have posted 4 Naans already!:D
This is great, soft and slightly sour taste. My garlic Naan was the best though, my fave. Enjoy baking, hope you like this!:)

Recipeswap said...

Asha I made this chicken curry for lunch today and we really liked it.Thanks for sharing!

FH said...

Glad you tried and liked it, thanks for the feedback Neema. Have agreat weekend! :)