Spiced Naan Food

SPICED NAAN

Steps:

• Whisk the bread flour, salt, and yeast together in a mixing bowl until combined; set aside. Stir the honey, 3/4 cup water, and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter together in a mixing bowl until the honey has dissolved. Stir in half of the flour mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in the remaining flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling by melting 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and chili powder. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the raisins, coconut, and 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer; set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place a large baking sheet into the oven to preheat. Dust a second baking sheet heavily with flour.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8 inch round, then spoon the filling into the middle of the dough. Bring the edges of the dough over the filling, and pinch to seal. Carefully roll the dough out into 8-inch ovals and place onto the floured baking sheet. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the naan onto the hot baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake until the naan have puffed up and are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.

SPICED BROCCOLI, PANEER & PEAS WITH GARAM MASALA CASHEWS

Steps:

• Whisk 1 tbsp of the oil with the ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, 1 tbsp garam masala and some seasoning in a bowl. Add the paneer and stir in the mixture to coat it, then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hrs, or overnight.
• Blend the coriander and yogurt with a stick blender or in a small food processor with a pinch of salt until you get a green sauce. Keep in the fridge for serving later.
• Heat the grill to medium. Tip the cashews into a shallow baking tray, then toss with 1 tsp garam masala and ½ tsp sea salt. Grill for 2 mins until toasted and golden, tossing again halfway through. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
• Toss the broccoli and sprouts with the remaining oil. Season and spread out on the tray you used for the cashews and grill for 10 mins until just starting to turn tender, tossing halfway through. Mix in the paneer along with its marinade and grill again for 10 mins, until golden and lightly charred. Scatter over the peas and toss everything together well. Warm through for 1-2 mins under the grill (don't leave for too long or the peas will shrivel).
• Scatter over the spiced cashews, then squeeze over the lime juice. Drizzle with the yogurt dressing and serve with the chutney, naan breads or rotis and lime wedges to squeeze over.

INDIAN-SPICED PEPPER STEAK

Steps:

• Gather all your ingredients and place around large work area, near stove.
• Pat meat dry and cut it into 3 or 4 portions, then thinly slice the meat into strips against the grain of the meat.
• Place a small skillet with seeds and peppercorns over medium heat and toast a minute until fragrant. Place in spice mill and grind. Combine with chili powder, garam masala and turmeric. (Ready-ground spices can be substituted but toasted whole seeds and peppercorns that are freshly ground are a little deeper and bigger in flavor.)
• Peel and chop red onion. Seed and thinly slice bell pepper. Thinly slice or chop the fresh chili peppers. Seed if you prefer milder food or leave seeds in for extra spicy. Grate or mince ginger and garlic.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add oil, 2 turns of the pan, and cook beef in single layer to brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Season with salt and remove to platter. Add more oil, another turn of the pan, and add onions and peppers, toss 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and curry leaves and toss a minute more. Add beef back to pan, sprinkle in spice blend, toss to combine with peppers and douse with lemon juice, sherry or vinegar. Garnish beef with cilantro. Serve beef with rice or grilled naan, mango chutney and Mumbai Mule.
• Bring water (with or without aromatics) to a boil. Add rice and salt and cook in boiling water, 12 minutes. Rinse in strainer using HOT water, drain and remove aromatics if using.
• For the simple syrup: Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan until sugar is melted. Add lavender and let cool. Store in refrigerator.
• For the mule: Run a fresh cut lime over the rim of a copper mug or rocks glass. Place rim of glass upside down into a saucer filled with chili powder to coat the rim. Fill glass with ice. Place vodka, lime juice, turmeric, ginger beer and 1/2 ounce lavender simple syrup into glass. Stir gently and garnish with a lavender sprig and lime wheel.

INDIAN SPICED TOMATO SOUP WITH CHEESY NAAN

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the cilantro stems, 1 tablespoon garlic, the ginger and coriander. Cook, stirring, until the coriander seeds begin to pop, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring, until juicy, about 2 minutes.
• Add 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garam masala. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon garlic and 1/4 teaspoon garam masala in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place the naan on a baking sheet; brush with the butter and broil until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and continue broiling until melted, 30 more seconds. Fold each piece of naan, then cut each in half.
• Divide the soup among bowls and top with the cilantro leaves. Serve with the naan.

SPICY NAAN

Steps:

• Proof yeast in 1/2 cup of the water: mix the water and the yeast and teaspoon of flour in a cup; cover and let sit until it's bubbly and active (5- 10 minutes).
• Mix the yeast/water, the milk and the rest of the water in a large bowl.
• Stir in 2 cups of flour (always stir in the same direction) until smooth.
• Add the salt, oil and cumin seeds and stir well.
• Add the remaining flour 1/2 a cup at a time until the dough is too stiff to stir.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board.
• Knead well, until the dough is springy; only add enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the board.
• Let dough rise in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with plastic, in a cool place for a few hours (warmer rising spot= shorter rise; I prefer leaving it longer).
• When the dough has risen to about double its original size, knead it down.
• Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
• I use unglazed quarry tiles in my oven when I make naan, attempting to mimic the tandoor ovens that are supposed to be used.
• If you don't have baking tiles, just use a baking sheet (I guess).
• Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and form them into balls.
• Brush the top of each ball lightly with melted butter or ghee and let it sit for about 20 minutes before shaping (by the time you've formed the last ball, the first one has usually sat long enough).
• Shape and bake naan two at a time: first smoosh the ball down flat with your fingers, then stretch it out into an oval shape.
• Transfer to the oven using a baking peel, or some other lightly floured thing you can use to slide the breads into the oven.
• Bake for about 6 minutes, or until puffy and getting brown.
• Yum!