I grew up in a very small village in Punjab- India. At the age of nine I was responsible for helping my mother make roties (Indian flat breads). We cooked our food on a small BBQ pit rather than in the traditional tandoor- clay oven. BBQ pits were much safer than tandoors, as in order to cook in tandoor, one would have to put their hands inside of the hot oven to ensure that the naan stuck to the oven wall.
My 14 year old daughter loves naan and whenever her friends come over to visit they always ask for naan too. They love to make their own! I use the Cuisinart Brick oven, it is very safe and the children can participate in cooking!
- 1 cup (250 ml) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (250 ml) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5ml) baking soda
- 1tsp (5ml) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5ml) salt
- 1/3 cup (75ml) plain yogurt- low fat- room temperature
- 2/3 cup (150ml) + 2 tbsp (30ml) warm water
- ¼ cup (50ml) grape seed oil
- 2 tbsp (30ml) flaxseed oil
Place whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, yogurt, and 2/3 cup (150ml) warm water in Cuisinart stand mixer bowl. Insert the dough hook and mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp (30ml) water and mix for 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover with a plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat the Cuisinart Brick Oven to 450 F (230 C) on convection fitted with the baking stone on a rack in Position A. Preheat the stone for at least 30 minutes.
Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and place 1 dough piece on it. Using both hands, press the centre outwards until the dough is evenly stretched. Now use the rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/4" thick. Brush grape seed oil on each side of the naan and place the naan on the preheated Cuisinart Brick Oven stone. Bake for 2 minute and flip the naan to the other side. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from the oven and brush with flaxseed oil to keep the naan moist.
Note: Traditionally naans are made with white flour which makes them puffy and soft. However, we are all aware of the health value of using whole-wheat flour. In this recipe, I use half whole wheat and half unbleached all purpose flour so that the naan remains fluffy but retains the nutritional value of whole-wheat.
Bal grew up in Punjab - India and came to Canada at the age of 20. At the age of 9 she learned how to make food from scratch from her elders. Later, Bal started sharing her cooking talent by giving cooking classes. Her organic, healthy, traditional infusion and quick Indian recipes became so popular that she was invited to appear on CityCooks (City TV) and the local newspaper did a story on her cooking style. Bal has also now written her first cookbook, which focuses on how to make healthy, yummy and quick Indian recipes in less than 20 minutes. The book will be published by Whitecap Books and will be available in Spring 2009.
To learn more about Bal, visit her website:
www.balshealthykitchen.com
