Nan, or Naan, bread is now an integral part of Indian cuisine, perfect for mopping up the delicious leftover sauce. But where did the unique flatbread come from?
Thought to be named after the Persian word for bread, naan breads can be leavened or unleavened and are often flavoured with herbs and spices such as coriander and chilli. They are usually brushed with butter or ghee and served hot as an accompaniment to curries and other Indian cuisines.
Food for Kings
Although it is believed that the dish could have been a staple in India centuries earlier, the first recorded mention of naan bread is around 1300 AD from Amir Kashrau (1253-1325 AD). Amir Kashrau was an Indo-Persian poet, scholar, and musician who lived in Delhi and who wrote of nan bread being cooked in the Imperial Court there. Later records suggest that in the sixteenth century it was cooked in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Emperors, who ate the bread as part of their breakfast along with keema or kebab.
Due to the specialised way naan bread is cooked and the rarity of the ingredients during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, naan bread is likely to have remained a delicacy only eaten by the upper classes of Indian society throughout this time. The bread is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, a large clay oven shaped like an urn that has been used in Asian cooking for thousands of years. The tandoor gives the naan bread its distinct charred sections and crispy edges.
In the eighteenth-century naan bread begins to be mentioned throughout all classes of Indian society, as it became a staple for everyone regardless of their class. Towards the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Western world was introduced to naan bread when it was mentioned in the travel journals of an English historian and clergyman, William Tooke – the first time the name appears in English.
Indian restaurants were opened in England as early as 1810 when Sake Dean Mahomed opened Hindoostande Diner after retiring from the British East India Company. The popularity of Indian dishes such as naan bread has grown steadily in the two hundred years since.
Standing the Test of Time
Although delicious in its own right, the milder flavour of the bread is the perfect companion to other stronger-flavoured dishes. Nan bread is not made to be sliced or cut, it is best torn by hand and used to soak up curries and sauces. At Sachins we serve plain naan alongside nan breads flavoured with aromatics such as garlic, chilli and coriander. We also serve stuffed nan bread, with variations such as Peshawari Nan, stuffed with fruit and nuts, and Keema Nan, stuffed with minced lamb and coriander.
Book a table today and try the food of kings for yourself.
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.
They are usually brushed with butter or ghee and served hot as an accompaniment to curries and other Indian cuisines. Although it is believed that the dish could have been a staple in India centuries earlier, the first recorded mention of naan bread is around 1300 AD from Amir Kashrau (1253-1325 AD).
Most of the plain shop-bought poppadoms and naan breads are low in saturated fat, which is great news for curry lovers! Poppadoms are also generally made with lentil or chickpea flour, which is high in cholesterol-lowering dietary fibre.
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.
Naan is usually made from Maida ( whitest form of flour) which is not quite good for health. On the daily basis, if consumed, it can give rise to many stomach disorders like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It can kill your appetite giving rise to many undesirable health issues.
White Bread. White bread doesn't rank too high when it comes to nutrition. ...
Specialty Breads: Ciabatta, Pita, Focaccia and Brioche. Most specialty-style breads, like ciabatta, pita bread, focaccia and brioche are made with refined white flour.
Its just the heat that creats the black spots after been cooked. Yeah, if its stale and you find those spots its a big no no. otherwise its only the heat that makes roti naan paratha etc indian bread look like black or brown or red spots on these edibles. Completely edible …
The word naan comes from the Persian nân-e sangak, meaning “bread baked on [hot] pebbles.” In 1300 ce, Indian poet Amīr Khosrow documented two kinds of naan: naan-e-tunuk (light or thin bread) and naan-e-tanuri (bread cooked in a tandoor oven).
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.
Ezekiel. This is a bread made from a mix of sprouted wholegrains, typically wheat, barley, spelt and millet, as well as legumes, lentils and soya beans. ...
From health perspective, flat breads made of whole wheat flour (roti/paratha/chapati/phulka) are better than the ones made with all-purpose flour (naan & kulcha).
naan is calorically dense due to the refined flour. 100 grams of naan contains 310 calories, compared to 100 grams of steamed brown rice, which contains 125 calories. naan contains no fiber compared to the rice, which leads to an imbalance of gut bacteria, constipation, and a potentially increased risk of bowel cancer.
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.
Stonefire® Naan Dippers® with Mediterranean Hummus is a delicious pairing for your bite size snack cravings. Chopped bell peppers, cucumbers and Kalamata olives add savory flavor to this simple hummus recipe.
Ezekiel. This is a bread made from a mix of sprouted wholegrains, typically wheat, barley, spelt and millet, as well as legumes, lentils and soya beans. ...
Naan is lighter than a regular pizza base. So, when you load it up with delicious healthy toppings, you've got yourself an EPIC healthy weeknight dinner.
Problems with naan: naan is calorically dense due to the refined flour. 100 grams of naan contains 310 calories, compared to 100 grams of steamed brown rice, which contains 125 calories.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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