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I often hear my friends say that they are intimidated to try new recipes in fear of ruining the whole thing. They are mostly comfortable cooking the daily menu with less hassle and adventure. They keep their cravings to be satisfied in a restaurant or take-out food. For me it is always the other way round. Whenever I try something new out, I have to give it a try at home. At first I look up for recipes, tweak to suit my taste and ease, thus come up with my very own version. It is true that sometimes I fail badly, sometimes I alter method or ingredients in my next attempt but I keep on trying till I achieve success. So the key is to keep trying and have faith on oneself.

The other day one of my close friends requested me to give her some basic recipes to try at home, some detailed recipes so that she can follow every step without altering and get a sure shot success. From her proposal I got an idea to start a ‘Basic Recipe Series’ here so that the beginners, the newlyweds or anyone who fears to cook can benefit.

I shall try my best to give detailed list of ingredients, methods and try to keep it simple but you may not come up with flying colors in your first attempt so keep trying. I would love to help you if you go wrong.I know while cooking and specially in baking you need to follow recipes but I feel the best way is to follow your heart and use your common senses.

Today in the basic recipe series, I am sharing a naan recipe where you do not need any fancy tandoor or oven. You can completely rely on your good old tawa or skillet and enjoy the slightly stretchy yet soft naan with all the smoky goodness, just like the one from the tandoor restaurant. I don’t like the ‘bread’ like puffed up naan which nowadays are available in the grocery stores. These are soft yet pliable and can be rolled up into wraps with some grilled chicken bits or veggies.

So what are you waiting for? Tuck your hair, roll up your sleeves and march to the kitchen to try out this simple recipe. I am sure very soon you’ll impress your near and dear ones.

Scoop out your favorite curry with a piece of freshly prepared naan and enjoy as it melts in your mouth.

Stovetop Naan: Indian Flatbread

Recipe Makes 2-3 medium sized naan

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup plain yogurt at room temperature
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry yeast
¼ cup water at 110 F

First dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water, cover and let it stand for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile mix in the flour and salt and set aside. When the yeast is frothy add in the flour mixture along with the yogurt and oil. Knead to form dough. You may need some more water to knead the dough. Adjust water so that the dough is sticky and not dry.Oil your palms and continue to knead the dough for 5-8 minutes to form the gluten which gives the finished naan a stretchy texture. The dough should now feel soft and smooth. Form a ball and place on a greased bowl, brush the top with some oil, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise to double in size in a warm place (approx. 40-45 minutes).

After the dough has risen, place a heavy bottomed skillet or tawa on a stovetop at a very high heat. Meanwhile punch down the dough lightly and divide and roll into small balls. Roll the balls on a lightly floured surface into a thin round disc. Lift the rolled disc and stretch from one side to form a ‘tear’ shape. Dust off any excess flour and apply a little bit of water on one side of the rolled naan. Put the wet side down on the skillet and wait till you see big bubbles forming on the surface of the naan (approx.1-2 minutes) Flip and cook for another minute. Now place the naan with a tong directly over the flame to get some charred effects on the naan. Place the prepared naan on a plate and brush with butter. Repeat with rest of the dough. To keep the naan warm wrap with an aluminum foil.

You can cut the naan into halves while serving with your favorite curry. Enjoy!

Tips:

To get a soft naan, make sure that the dough is not too dry. Dry dough will lead to dry and chewy naan. Use warm water to proof the yeast. If the water is too hot the yeast will not rise resulting to flat dough. It is important to use yogurt at room temperature. If you are not comfortable handling the naan directly over the open flame, you can use a wire mesh as we use in making normal chapatti or roti.You can add toppings of your choice on the naan, like- crushed garlic, chopped coriander leaves, nigella, sesame seeds etc.

Stovetop Naan is Yeastspotted!

The days are really getting cold in here and nights are even colder. You need something hot and spicy or maybe a bowl of warm soup to keep yourself warm. I love soups but sometimes I indulge in something that is hot n spicy as well as fast to prepare so that the rest of the time I can wrap myself in a shawl and enjoy watching movies.

This is an Indo-Chinese version of Szechuan shrimp and though the recipe has got a number of ingredients but the cooking time is really fast.

Szechuan style Shrimp

Recipe serves 2-3 people

10-12 medium-sized tail-on shrimp cleaned and deveined
1 medium egg whisked
1 tablespoon corn flour
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 cup red,green,yellow bell-peppers cubed
½ cup red onions cubed
2-3 stalks of green onion (green and white separated)
3-4 dried red chillies cut into long strips
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup (optional)
2 tablespoons Szechuan sauce
Few drops of sesame oil
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (optional)
Oil for deep frying

For Szechuan sauce

2 tablespoons red chilli paste (soak dried red chillies in water for an hour and grind to a fine paste)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon vinegar
¼ teaspoon soya sauce
¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
2 tablespoons white oil
2-3 tablespoons water
Salt to taste
Sugar to balance the taste

First we need to prepare the Szechuan sauce. Heat oil in a wok and add the minced garlic followed by minced ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes in a medium heat and then add the red chilli paste and continue to stir for 3-4 minutes until the raw flavor of the spices is no more and the oil starts to separate. Add salt to taste, white pepper powder, soya-sauce, vinegar and stir and add 2-3 tablespoons of water to get the sauce like consistency. Give a good mix and check for seasoning. You may need to add a little bit of sugar to balance the taste. The Szechuan sauce is now ready.

To prepare the shrimp take a bowl and mix in the whisked egg, salt, white pepper powder, corn flour and all-purpose flour and toss the shrimps in the marinade. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a wok and deep-fry the shrimps in batches, drain and set aside. In a separate wok heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the minced garlic and ginger, cubes of red-green-yellow bell peppers, cubes of onion, strips of dried red chillies, sliced white portion of the green onions and sauté well for 2-3 minutes. Now add salt, the Szechuan sauce, few drops of sesame oil, ketchup if using and mix in well. Finally add the fried shrimps and toss. Serve hot in a platter and garnish with chopped green onions.

Enjoy with your favorite Chinese fried rice, noodles,steamed rice or as an appetizer.

Tips:

To prepare the red chilli paste you may de-seed the chillies before grinding to make it less hot.You may prepare the Szechuan sauce days ahead and use it whenever needed.The sauce stays good for a month in the refrigerator. You may omit the whole process of making the szechuan sauce and use a store bought one. While sautéing the bell-peppers make sure they do not lose their crunch.

Tag Archives: easy

Stovetop Naan: Indian Flatbread |Basic Recipe Series|

Szechuan style Shrimp