NAAN OR KULCHA

NAAN OR KULCHA

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 NAAN

3 Cups Plain Flour

3 Cups Wheat Flour (the one used for Roti)

Half a cup of Yoghurt

1 Cup Milk (or 4 Tbsp Milk Powder)

4 Tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)

2 Tbsp Instant Yeast (or Dried Yeast in a little warm water to which a teaspoon of sugar has been added until frothy)

2 level tsp Salt

Warm water

Sesame seeds for sprinkling

METHOD

Take a large bowl and sift in both the flours and salt. Add the instant yeast if using and mix well.  Make a well in the centre and add the milk, yoghurt, and ghee. Gradually gather the flour around this and keep mixing while adding warm water a little at a time until you get a sticky dough. Beat well with your hand to incorporate all the ingredients well. Pat it flat with a wet hand, cover and set aside to double in size. 

Once doubled in size, pat it down with a wet hand. Consistency should be as shown in this picture. Place your gridle on to heat.

Dip your hands in water and take a portion of the dough to roughly shape into a ball

Place the dough right in the middle of the hot gridle

Dip your hands in water and quickly pat out the dough into a circle

The shape and thickness should be as shown in this picture

Quickly sprinkle sesame seeds over before it starts to dry out. Give it a couple of minutes and it will start to dry out in patches.

Once it has started to dry on the surface, take a spatula and wedge it under the kulcha from all sides to loosen it from the gridle. Once loose, check the underside to see if it has turned a golden brown. Once it has, place the kulcha on a baking tray and pop it under a hot grill for a few minutes until it has browned from the top.

Drop on a dab of butter while its hot and spread it all over the naan. Doing so will make the Kulcha even softer. This is optional though as you can have it without the butter.

Traditionally this Kulcha is made in a tandoor. But to make them without a tandoor at home, the above method will get you good enough result. In fact people will not know the difference.