Naan Explained | Indian Restaurant | Downtown, San Rafael (2024)
What is Naan?
Is it a Chapati? Is it a Pita? Naan of the above!
Never tried it before? Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread native to India. It resembles pita bread but unlike pita, it has yogurt, milk, sometimes eggs or butter which makes it softer than the pita bread. Our bakers shape it into a ball and slap it on the walls of our tandoor (clay oven).
Traditional Naan consists of flour, salt, yeast and yogurt to make a smooth and elastic dough. After cooking, it can be served with a filling or it can also be dipped in different sauces. It even makes a good substitute for pizza dough. It’s a good appetizer or snack and it comes in many flavors such as:
We also serve gluten-free Naan! All Lotus Family restaurant menus are over 95% gluten-free. A gluten-free diet excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in many grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale.
Feeling hungry already? Grab some naan at any of our Lotus Restaurants and enjoy home-style Northern Indian cuisine with organic and fresh ingredients including meats, produce and dairy.
Naan is a single-layer bread with a light and slightly fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process. It is made primarily from white flour or wheat flour and a leavening agent (usually yeast), which results in the formation of air pockets in the dough that impart fluffiness and softness.
Naan spread to the Indian subcontinent during the Islamic Delhi Sultanate period. The earliest mention of naan in the region comes from the memoirs of Indo-Persian Sufi poet Amir Khusrau living in India during the 1300s AD. Amir Khusrau mentions two kinds of naan eaten by Muslim nobles; Naan-e-Tunuk and Naan-e-Tanuri.
Naan bread is soft, fluffy, and chewy, whereas pita bread is denser with a slightly crispy texture on the outside. Naan bread also has a buttery flavor due to the ghee and buttermilk in the dough, which adds an extra dimension of flavor compared to pita bread's more neutral taste.
While it may contain more carbs and sugars, it earns its reputation as a healthy alternative with its relatively generous amounts of protein and fiber. Despite its high carb content, naan can be considered a more nutrient-dense alternative to white bread and pita.
It resembles pita bread but unlike pita, it has yogurt, milk, sometimes eggs or butter which makes it softer than the pita bread. Our bakers shape it into a ball and slap it on the walls of our tandoor (clay oven). Traditional Naan consists of flour, salt, yeast and yogurt to make a smooth and elastic dough.
Naan is historically cooked in a hot tandoor oven in the ground or on hot wood charcoal. These cooking methods often result in temperatures of about 900°F (480°C). Early recorded history of naan first appeared in the notes of Indo-Persian poet Amir Kushrau in 1300 AD.
Naan tends to be thicker than most types of rotis. Roti has a coarser texture, often requiring more chewing. Naan has a softer texture due to the use of specific flour and yeast. Making roti is relatively quick and simple, requiring less preparation time.
Perfect on its own – buttery, fluffy, with a hint of smokiness – consider serving it by itself on its own plate as a complementary side to other dishes, as a warm-up to the main course, or tear it up into a few pieces for dips, soups and more.
Which is healthier: bread or naan? Naan is a flatbread, whereas bread comes in loaves. Naan is higher in fat, protein, and carbohydrates than loaf bread. The higher protein content of naan will allow you to feel fuller for longer and curve cravings.
Naan is made from the basic ingredients of wheat flour, water/milk, salt and yeast. It is shaped in artisan production, mostly by hand. The secret to the special taste is a combination of the baking process in the traditional tandoori oven and the addition of Indian yoghurt, which makes the dough light and loose.
The term "naan" comes from Persian nân (Persian: نان), a generic word for any kind of bread. This word was borrowed into a range of languages in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia, where it came to refer to a specific type of bread. The term then spread around the globe along with the style of bread itself.
In the modern days, yeast & other leavening agents have replaced the bread starter. So most restaurants either use yeast or another leavening agent like baking powder & baking soda. If you order naan in Indian restaurants you may not find the texture & flavor to be the same in every place.
traditionally baked at high heat in a hot tandoor (clay oven) with charcoal or wood fire, naan was served as breakfast to mughal nobles, from where it evolved to being served at many indian restaurants.
Naan is an Indian flatbread made from wheat dough, which is traditionally baked against the side of a tandoor oven and then coated with ghee (clarified butter). It is often served as a side dish to curries and other main meals. Naan is mainly eaten in the Punjab region and the north of the country.
The term "naan" comes from Persian nân (Persian: نان), a generic word for any kind of bread. This word was borrowed into a range of languages in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia, where it came to refer to a specific type of bread. The term then spread around the globe along with the style of bread itself.
What ingredients go into making an authentic naan? Naan traditionally is plain flat bread made using bread flour, Yeast, salt and water. Its cooked in tandoor.
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