“I am a little naughty and often butter my naan, it may be a little decadent but it tastes deeeeelisshious,” says Parveen Ashraf, when SBS Food chats to the cooking teacher and TV host about the delights of this chewy-but-fluffy bread.
“I think hot buttered naan should come with a health warning as they are so addictive!”
For those – like us here at SBS Food! – who also love a buttered naan, here are ten essential recipes to help you embrace this indulgence, including Ashraf’s own easy naan recipe, and a vegan naan, for those who don't eat dairy.
Easy naan
This is the easy naan recipe that Ashraf shares in her show, Parveen’s Indian Kitchen. It used baking powder, rather than yeast, so it’s a good one if you have less time.
“A good naan bread needs to be light and fluffy. For best results cook on a high heat. The naan cooks in minutes and leaves you with a lovely ‘crisp on the outside, but still fluffy on the inside’ texture. If you overcook a naan, it will dehydrate and become tough,” she tells us.
Garlic naan
“To make garlic naan, you can just buy regular garlic butter and spread that over a hot naan, it works a treat! Alternatively, crush one small clove of garlic into 70g butter, spread this over your naan and pop under the grill until the butter has melted,” Ashraf says.
Vegans, you don’t have to miss out either – blogger Sasha Gill includes three variations in the vegan naan recipe she shared with SBS Food: plain, garlic and peshwari.
Lamb bhuna
“I like to eat naan with any masala sauce or curry dish but my favourite way to eat naan is with either a lamb bhuna (recipe here) or chicken jalfrezi (find it in her cookbook),” says Ashraf.
“My lamb bhuna is famous in my family. I love it, my children love it and my husband absolutely loves it. It’s his favourite dish. I make it all the time, probably about twice a week. The best thing about this lamb bhuna is you just chuck everything in a pan and cook it through." Get the recipe here.
Easy chicken curry
Use Anjum Anand’s recipe to make a batch of her tomato, garlic and capsicum, and you can then whip up her very easy chicken curry ready in around 10 minutes. And then, of course, mop up the very tasty sauce with naan!
Saag paneer
This greens and cheese combo is an Indian classic. Give it a go in this recipe from Matthew Evans, delicious served with his super-easy yoghurt flatbreads, which are fantastic served warm and brushed with butter.
Goat tandoori
The thick, full-o-flavour gravy in this recipe is perfect served with naan.
Butter chicken
Of course, we had to include this famous favourite, with it’s rich, thick, oh-so-delicious sauce! Samira Nanda says of her recipe. If you don’t have every spice listed, “don’t worry… you can still enjoy an absolutely delicious dish.”
Red lentil dhal
This curry comes from Gujurat, a province in Western Indian known for its vegetarian food. Adjust the chilli heat to suit your tastes.
Chana and spinach masala
When Ashraf makes this in Parveen’s Indian Kitchen, she serves it with… yes, you guessed it, hot buttered naan. “It’s creamy, it’s filling, it’s flavoursome,” she says of this fantastic vegetarian dish.
And a bonus: Butter chicken parcels
Got some leftover butter chicken? Here's a different way to take on the butter-and-naan combo! Make these easy naan, fill them with butter chicken and pan-fry in ghee.
Watch Parveen's Indian Kitchen Saturday at 5.30pm 25 Jan to 28 Mar on SBS Food. Episodes will be available on SBS On Demand after they air.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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