Naan is a type of flatbread that originated from the Indian Subcontinent. It differs from Capati which is a different kind of flatbread as naan requires yeast in its recipe. Traditionally, naan is cooked in a tandoor which is a cylindrical clay or metal oven. Nowadays, naan can easily be prepared in an oven or nonstick frying pan. Naan is usually served with dhal, chickpeas and potato curry for a savoury and satisfying meal.
In Malaysia, there is a popular twist of the plain naan which is cheese naan. The gooey and melted cheese inside the naan bread just adds texture and burst of flavours to the naan bread. The cheese naan is so popular among cheese lovers that there is Cheese Naan Cake that is made by layers of cheese naan with oozing mozzarella cheese. It is accompanied with special curry that completes the meal.
A typical naan recipe consists of wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water. Milk can also be added to give a distinct taste to naan bread and produces softer dough. Besides that, at some places, naan can be flavoured with fragrant essences such as rose, butter or ghee. Try this cheese naan recipe for the soft and delicious teatime snack.
Ingredients (3 servings):
- 10g of unsalted butter
- 120ml of milk
- 2 tsp 0f active dry yeast
- ½ tsp of salt
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 200g of all-purpose flour
- 150g of shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- In a microwaveable bowl, combine butter and milk then microwave for 30 seconds to melt the butter. Mix them well with a spoon and let it cool.
- Once cooled, add the active dry yeast and mix them well. Then add flour, sugar, and salt. Knead the dough until all the ingredients mix well.
- Cover the dough for an hour using plastic wrapper or saran wrap.
- Then, transfer the dough into a clean table and divide it into 6 pieces. Shape the dough into a ball by rolling it by hand. Next, press the ball and use the rolling pin to flatten the dough until about 3 mm thick. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough.
- Take one flat dough and put a third of the cheese into the centre of the dough. Use another dough to cover the top and seal the edges tightly. Repeat with the remaining cheese and dough.
- Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Make sure the pan is hot and then place the cheese naan. Cook both sides of naan for about 3 minutes until it is lightly browned.
- Serve the hot cheese naan with chicken or potato curry. Enjoy!