This month's supper club theme was an Indian feast. Our hosts provided the main dishes: Bhindi Dopiaza (okra with double onion) and Potato and Tomato Korma. They also made a pitcher of delicious mango lassis and chai to quench our thirst. The other dishes included samosas, pakoras, stuffed zucchini, raita, chutney, and kheer.
I brought homemade naan and batata vada (deep fried potato dumplings). I thought the naan would be the more difficult dish to make since I'd never attempted to make dough before. The dumplings actually turned out to be more troublesome due to the batter the recipe called for (it ended up sticking to my fry basket). The potato filling was tasty though. I'll probably keep the filling recipe for samosas.
The naan turned out really well and was incredibly easy to make (especially since I used a bread machine). I think it'd also make a very tasty pizza dough. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Naan/Detail.aspx. Based on the suggestions of those who rated the recipe, I adjusted the recipe a little. Here's the recipe with my adjustments:
INGREDIENTS:
1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, proof the yeast by dissolving the yeast in the warm water with 1 tbsp of sugar. Let it double in volume and become frothy (about 9-12 minutes).
2. Stir in the remaining sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough bread flour to make a soft dough. Too much flour will make the dough stiff. Knead for 6 - 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
If you're using a bread machine, put the liquid ingredients (milk and egg) in first, then the dry ingredients (sugar, salt and only 3 1/2 cups bread flour) before adding the proofed yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and let it do it's work.
2. Punch down the dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll the dough into balls, and place on a tray with space between the balls for it to expand. Cover the tray with a towel, and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. Roll one ball of dough out thinly and brush one side with ghee. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan on medium high heat. Place the brushed side of the dough on the grill and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, or until the top bubbles and the bottom is lightly browned. Brush the top with some ghee before turning over. Cook until browned (another 2 - 4 minutes). Remove from the grill and continue the process until all of the naan has been prepared.
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