naan too hard.

Naan! Why haven't I tried making this before now?

This was my first time making naan and I think I got the recipe here, but I looked at a few, put the laptop on the kitchen counter, and then just went for it—and this was 2 weeks ago, so lord knows. It was terribly fun grilling these and they froze well. I had to freeze them because the recipe made about 16. I made pizza for the girls on them, but because I called them naan first and then pizza second, they were rejected. This resulted in not my finest mothering moment, but oh well, Pete and I ate the heck out of them. I should try making them with whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour (has anyone tried this type of flour?) so I can feel 35% better about stuffing way too many carbs in my belly. Yum!

I should have used this book, which we love, but I can't find it, which is ridiculous because it is huge. Not the type of thing one would lose. I know for awhile it was a structural part of a makeshift desk (don't ask) but that has been dismantled, so it could be anywhere. It looks like it's out of print, but powell's has one left. Here's some at amazon, too.

Comments

[Five Flowers/ Emily]

Oh yum. I love making naan... I should start freezing the leftovers too!

[Heather]

Think of it as whole wheat flour 'lite'. I got the white whole wheat flour, trying to fool myself into thinking it was 'regular' white flour. I made chocolate chip cookies with it and the cookies turned out more cakey, sweeter/nuttier, and thicker than with all purpose white flour. (In our house we like thin, gooey cookies with a crunchy edge.) I adjusted the oven temp for the second batch to be a little lower and pulled them out earlier and they were a little gooier -is this a word, oh well. Next time I think I'd try 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 white whole wheat. Let the experiments continue!

[Virginia]

I'm a big fan of the white whole wheat, but it is definitely heavier than "regular" white flour. The suggestion above to use half and half with white flour is a wise one.

[Annette S.]

We've had lots of success with King Arthur White Whole Wheat it's fabulous. Depending on the type of cookie you make 1/2 and 1/2 with all purpose does work best. If you are making oatmeal cookies, bread, naan, pizza etc. all white whole wheat works well - even my kids like it!!! I'll have to take a look for that cookbook - it looks yummy -- LOVE indian food.

P.S. Love those bloomers from the other day!! and truthfully just love your blog - makes me smile.

[jennifer]

I use whole wheat pastry flour and it works great. I use it as 100% replacement for all purpose flour.

[Annika]

I love love LOVE white whole wheat flour. Did you know it is actually a different kind of wheat? Lighter than regular whole wheat flour with a delightfully nutty flavor. I use it for EVERYTHING. It takes me a year to go through a bag of all-purpose now.

[Annika]

P.S. I have Julie Sahni's Indian Vegetarian cookbook and it is great. I will check my library for the one you mentioned, as one can never have too many Indian recipes.

[Lisa Clarke]

Oh, Naan! The best reason for going out for Indian food, IMHO. I love the stuff, but I've never found a recipe that came out as good as restaurant-style. Trader Joe's has them frozen, and they're quite good - as close to the real thing as I've ever found. I snap them up every time I go to TJ's. I have 4 packages in my freezer as we speak. Can you say "carb junkie" ? Heh. I think I'll try your recipe and see if I have any luck.

[Erin]

Fabulous! I adore Indian food and have always wanted to make Naan. I will definitely attempt this recipe at some point. Thanks so much for letting us know that it's totally possible and not scary or hard :)

[kristin]

My kids love to help roll them out. Since most recipes make a gazillion, I'm happy to sacrifice a few to the children (who them end up liking them better after they've rolled them, painted them with yogurt (with our pastry brush) and "sprinkled" with seseme seeds.

And we cook them on the pizza stone in our oven.

[Molly]

If you're not already familiar with Heidi Swanson's cooking/recipes, check out her website www.101cookbooks.com. She also has a couple of cookbooks & the Supernatural cookbook goes into just enough detail about all kinds of alternatives to regular 'white' flour.

[amy]

yeah! Me too..I always think about it..yr gonna inspire me to do it!!!this week! Um, you rock.

[jessica]

I use white whole wheat for everything. Really. cookies, pie crust, pizza, bread, you name it... Sometimes I use regular whole wheat, but since I discovered white wheat (I buy it in 50 lb. bags a grind it into flour with a wheat grinder) we haven't used refined flour again. That was 3 or 4 years ago and we're not looking back :)!

[Joanna]

So funny!- I just made naan for the first time , too, and from the same recipe! I used 1/2 King Arthur unbleached white and 1/2 king Arthur white whole wheat and they came out great...we grilled them on our tiny George Foreman grill (one of those presents that make you go "hmm...", but has come in handy more times than I can count!) and I brushed them with olive oil instead of butter. So good...

[Rachelle Nicolette]

Yum! For some reason, I had convinced myself that making naan would be difficult. No idea why! I'll have to give this a try now.

[kelly]

i've been thinking of attempting naan. that totally complete my curry meals. i think you've just given me some inspiration. thanks so much!

[Lori Seaborg]

I use the white wheat often, in fact, for anything we make that asks for yeast. That's your key right there. Use pastry wheat (or white flour) for baked goods that don't ask for yeast, and white wheat (a.k.a. Golden 86, Soft Winter White Wheat). It makes such fluffy, wonderful wheat products without any of the heaviness and stronger taste the what-we're-used-to (a.k.a. Hard Winter White, Red wheat) wheat. Try it, I think you'll love it! Just remember to only use it in YEASTED goods.

[Katie]

Making naan...what a good idea! My boyfriend will be ecstatic.

[Sally]

I love the white whole wheat. I discovered it over Christmas break. You can get it at Trader Joes (King Arthur brand). I love it. It is so much milder tasting than the others I've tried! I can use it in pancakes where I used to have to mix 1/2 white flour with 1/2 whole wheat. I do think that things with high amounts of leavening are better suited for it. My pancakes are heavy on the baking powder, so work great with white whole wheat. But I wouldn't risk my chocolate chip cookies with it. :)

[allison]

i too love the white whole wheat. We use it for everything and makes super yummy cookies. I am sort-of hard core about not using refined stuff for health reasons but I do go halfsies every once in a while. Which of course is yummy. But you really could just use it for everything.

[Kim]

I went to our local Indian restaurant last night, I need that cookbook! Do you know if it has a recipe for Vegetable Coconut Kurma? That is my all time favorite!

[theresa]

I love the white whole wheat flour, and generally use it half and half with regular stone ground whole wheat. But, if your transitioning from regular white, doing half/half white and white whole wheat would work great!

Now you've got to try doing some stuffed breads! Just as easy as naan, and so yummy! Aloo Paratha is a kid favorite in our house, but hubby and I love gobhi paratha.

[Heather]

I love whole wheat and white whole wheat flour. I use it to half every recipe that I make whether it's cake or muffins or cookies. It takes away some of the MOM Guilt for me.
BTW-I love love love your blog. Long time reader, first time poster.

[stephanerd]

Oh lord, why did you have to tempt me with a cookbook that is so scarce!? That naan looks so delectable.

[shelle]

White wheat flour is food for the gods! It is just as healthy as winter wheat flour without being heavy and well wheatie. It is the only flour I buy works well in recipes that call for WW pastry flour as well. By the way do you like King Arther's whole wheat baking recipe book? It has been on my wish list for some time and still on the fence.
we love ginger and garlic naan
happy baking

[Tina]

I love to grill and cook! What a fab recipe-can't wait for the next warm-ish day to try these. They have been added to my favs.

[Mindy]

I'm a big fan of whole wheat pastry flour. It's a finer grain of whole wheat so it results in a lighter outcome. I feel regular whole tends to give you a much denser consistency. You can usually get it in any food store.

[kristin]

I also buy the Trader Joe's variety, but I'm game to try this out. Naan is the reason I love Indian food so much...and no silverware to wash!

[Stacy]

Oh my goodness sakes. How many times have I come home from Trader Joe's with a package of these pricey things and said aloud, "I really should figure out how to make these!"

Thank you! I'm trying this TODAY.

~Stacy

[jan in nagasaki]

I made the bread recipe that you posted (the braid with cardamom) my kids and I just loved it and gobbled it up!!! Do you want me to share my sweet potato/cardamom roti recipe with you???? It is simple and delicious and there won't be any left over to freeze!!

[Kirstin]

Yum, that looks great. I've always wanted to try making naan, but for some reason hadn't gotten to it yet. Maybe now! On the bread topic, the no-knead bread you posted about awhile ago made it to this month's Cooks Illustrated! They changed the recipe a bit to keep the amazing crust but improve the bread flavor (added beer!) and printed adaptations for it with olives, rosemary and parmesan; seeded rye; whole wheat; and for cranberry-pecan. Wow.

[Kristy]

Um... I realize that everyone has been chatting about the white whole wheat flour and naan in general, but what I really loved about this post is the fact that your girls wouldn't eat it because you called it naan first!! I'm so glad you have those moments too, I have all too many of them. I must have the pickiest girl in the universe. She would just look at the naan and decide that she doesn't like it without me even having to call it anything!

But I do love my naan!!

[sherrieg]

We love what we buy as 'Whole White Flour' from Speerville Mills in New Brunswick. It bakes up beautifully in just about everything. I'm assuming it's similar to the King Athur kind mentioned, yum!

[anne]

I'm following the posters who suggested whole wheat pastry flour. It's a different beastie yet again from whole wheat and white whole wheat. It's great in non-yeast baked goods, and has less of a whole-wheat flavor than even the white whole wheat. My Wonderbread-loving husband complains that white whole wheat tastes too healthy, but he doesn't notice the ww pastry flour.
p.s. I adore your blog!

[teresa]

oh wow! did you just bake your naan in the oven? I have always wanted to try making them and I think I will now!

[chronicler]

I have a friend who makes Naan and even has some stamps she bought when she was in Kyrgystan. She has some recipes on her blog, you may want to take a look: The Golden Road

Yours looks pretty good!

[Michelle]

We make garlic butter for dipping. Then you can feel guilty about the saturated fat, too. But, it's soooooo good the happiness balances the bad stuff, right?

[Cortney Young]

I have used whole wheat flour in banana bread and oatmeal cookies and I think they turned out great.

[red_swirl]

Naan is my girls' favourite, but then again they've eaten at an Indian restaurant since they were really tiny. Have you tried garlic naan, also spinach and cheese naan (if you're not vegan)?

[Kathy Paglierani]

Mmmmm...Yummy Naan is fabulous. I want to make some.

[carrie]

A few years ago I went looking for an Ethopian cookbook, but they were sure hard to come by! I did come across one that I think is self-published by Tizita Ayele called: Ethopian Cooking in the American Kitchen. The photos are hopelessly bad, but the recipes we've tried were great.

[Sally McEntire]

I love white whole wheat flour. I use it in both yeasted and quick breads, and most cookies. But I do use whole wheat pastry flour for my chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Perfect WW Pastry Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
3 c whole wheat pastry flour
2 c chocolate chips (I use a mix of mini semi sweet chips and extra large milk chocolate chips)

Cream butter and sugars, add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla, soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix in flour, just until combined. Then stir in chocolate. Bake at 350 for 11 min.

Enjoy!!

[nava]

I love that book! I have it, actually. My Dad picked it up for me at some book sale for about $5 (or less) around 3 years back. It's fantastic!

[Claire]

I can't tell you how timely this post is! We are scheduled to do an Indian banquet type thing tomorrow night (well, we're cooking some dahl) and I was just thinking "what we need is a naan recipe". Thank you Amy!

[Katy]

yum!
white wholewheat is great, but doesn't taste as good in cakes..too healthy tasting when you make a huge dairy cream and jam filled sponge ;)
Sometimes the calories just need to be taken - it's only right!

[Elisa]

This is really too weird, the timing I mean.

I just wanted to ask someone for a Naan recipe, since they don´t sell it in our grocery any longer.

I have good news, it seems there is a second Edition at another publisher and 3 years younger that yours, have a look here:

http://www.amazon.de/Lord-Krishnas-Cuisine-Vegetarian-Cooking/dp/0525245642/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1200655219&sr=8-1

[Rebecca]

I accidentally bought white whole wheat flour when I meant to buy regular whole wheat. I haven't experimented with it enough to really know.

When I make roti from a recipe an old boss's mother taught me (she was Pakistani) I use half whole wheat and half white flour. I use that in a lot of things (like cornbread). I bet that would be perfect in Naan.

[molliegreene]

thanks for this . . . my husband especially thanks you, or will when i make indian next. i will remember to call it pizza and not naan. my kids do not like to eat meals, they like to eat snacks, so we must call breakfast a "snack" or it's over.

[amy k.]

wow!
okay, I am thrilled to get so much feedback about the white whole-wheat flour/pastry flour thing. I have used pastry flour for years, but haven't tried the white whole wheat-

and I did grill these, not bake them, on a cast iron grill we have that I keep over 2 burners all the time. A griddle. (that’s the word for it!) One side is flat and one had grill lines.

[amy]

That is my favorite cookbook ever of all time in the history of cookbooks! The naan looks so pretty! I don't feel as bad about the carbs when you add yogurt or dip naan into a yogurt and mint dip for example. You have all your nutrition right there. You should come out with a cookbook next ok? :)