HOMEMADE NAAN

Without a doubt one of my favourite cuisines has got to be Indian. A few years back I used to hop over to London very regularly and because there is a big Indian community there, I must say I have a lot of delicious memories at some fantastic Indian restaurants (here in Paris on the other hand, it's much more difficult to find a good Indian restaurant!) And of course, what is a meal at an Indian restaurant without naans on the table... those addictive soft buttery flatbreads delicious plain, and maybe even more when oozing with melted cheese or jazzed up with garlic, coriander, or chilli... mmmmm!

So until now I thought the only moments in my life where I could enjoy a naan would be when I eat out (or the day I finally get to visit India!!), but last weekend I decided this would not be my fate! The thing is, there is something so intimidating about naans that I've never dared to make them from scratch, but with some courage, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

The recipe I used was the one featured in this month's Elle à table (a French culinary magazine).

However being the research freak I am, there was no way I was going to rely on just a piece of paper with a recipe written on it. Just to make sure this first attempt wouldnt be a fail, I spent almost my entire afternoon youtube-ing videos on naan recipes, just to make sure I get the technique right. So after hours in front of my computer screen, I took a deep breath and headed to the kitchen... and here's what happened:

Mixing all the ingredients...

Rolling out the dough:

Made some with cheese, and sprinkled them with sesame seeds:

And off goes a cheese naan onto the pan!

Close-up with the cheese oozing out, yum!

Here's what happens with plain naans:

Then it gets bubbly:

And with each naan you make, more and more bubblies and pouffies in different shapes:

Flip it over to the other side:

And here is your naan, ready to enjoy!

Recipe for Naans (from Elle à table, Jan/Feb 2010 edition):

The recipe reads for 4 servings- from my experience this made about 10 medium sized naans

300g flour

1 egg

1 yoghurt

1 tablespoon neutral oil (I guess they were referring to the acidity of the oil, I used sunflower)

4gr yeast

La Vache Qui Rit type cheese (optional)

Butter for glazing at the end

+ Oil for the pan (not in recipe, but I recommend)

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the cheese and butter. Knead dough until it becomes supple (you can gradually add some warm water to obtain this texture). Leave to rest for 15 mins. Break out a tennis-ball size portion of the dough and roll-out on a floured surface- the thickness of the dough should be about 3mm thick. If you want to add some cheese, spread it at this point and close the naan by folding it in half and sealing sides together. Heat up a pan on a medium/high heat. The pan should preferably be very lightly brushed with some oil. Once heated, place a naan and flip it onto each side every 1 minute- you will have to just stay close and observe to know when it's ready. Remove from pan and brush with butter. Enjoy!

P.S: the recipe reads that after kneading the dough, you should leave it rest for 15mins- I left my dough out for 3 hours. From the research I did, it seemed better if you leave it out longer.

P.P.S: If you wish to add toppings (like sesame seeds, chopped coriander, etc) and it doesnt stick on the rolled out dough easily, you can use a rolling pin and very very lightly roll it over the dough (already topped off with your seasoning of choice) so that the seasoning "sticks" on the dough

P.P.P.S: when you place the naans on the pan, it will form voluminous bubbles, just tap it down with a large flat spoon or knife to then flip it on the other side.

ZUCCHINI & MOZZARELLA

Right- so we all know that tomatoes and mozzarella make a great match, but during my recent trip to Cagliari I became convinced that zucchini and mozzarella are an even greater match! They are just such a perfect edible duet that I promised myself when I go back home I am going to have to match them and eat them up together!

So this late morning was the perfect occasion. Why? Well we had lots of mozzarella in the fridge and zucchini left overs from the day before. And there you go, it was crystal clear- I definately knew what I'll be cooking today! I just wanted to add one extra ingredient to make it more personal: nigella seeds, because I always have a jar of nigella seeds in the kitchen and because sprinkling them over white cheeses makes wonders.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Nigella seeds!

Mozzarella!

Before...

and after (next time I'm being more generous with the zucchini though) :

But you need to be seeing this close-up...

Recipe for fake zucchini & mozzarella focaccia with nigella seeds:

325gr flour

1 tbsp olive oil

Yeast

1 tsp salt

225ml warm water

Mozzarella

Zucchini, thinly sliced

Nigella seeds (optional)

& Olive oil for brushing over dough

Mix flour, olive oil, yeast, and salt. Add the warm water and knead for 10 minutes. Leave dough to rise for 1 hour in a warm place. Remove dough, knead, roll out to approximately 2cm thickness and transfer to baking tray lined with parchment paper and brushed with olive oil. Poke dough with a fork, and brush dough surface with olive oil. Generously add the mozzarella and zucchini and sprinkle over some nigella seeds(sesame seeds are good too) and some salt. Bake at 180C for 50mins.

FATAYER MOUHAMARA

I am posting here on my blog just minutes after these "fatayers" (Arabic for any dough-based pie-pizza-ish speciality) came out of the oven. If only you could smell how wonderful it is over here, and if only I could virtually send you a piece just so that you could try a bite of this Syrian speciality called "fatayer mouhamara".

It is delicious. Double delicious. Triple delicious ... and I'm not exaggerating!

But it definately needs some explanation.

1. The dough. Pretty straightforward.
2. But then comes this stuff- and this is where we need some details. Thus- the photo below.
So, ever tried anything like this before? The combination of ingredients is divine.
A bit of dough massaging.... and in the oven it goes!

Recipe for Fatayer Mouhamara (makes approx 4 to5 10cm diameter round pies)

For the topping:

4 onions, chopped

4 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsp tomato concentrate

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Salt to season

Mixture of pepper, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg

Hot pepper (optional, but recommended!)

For the bread dough:

250gr flour + Yeast + 150ml warm water

The day before, combine all bread ingredients, knead well and leave dough overnight. Knead once again the next day, split into 4-5 balls. Preheat oven to 230C. In a bowl, mix all the topping ingredients. Mix well. Flatten dough balls to 1/2cm thickness and spread a generous layer of the topping. Place fatayers on tray lined with parchment paper and sprinkled lightly with some flour. Bake for 10-15 minutes, remove and relish!

P.S: Tony over at Olive Juice has another great fatayer recipe- spinach fatayer mmmm

CRACKED BLACK PEPPER & FIGGY BREAD

I love searching around the internet for websites that provide great recipes- but I must admit, often there is something wrong with the recipe. I always get the feeling that there is an ingredient missing or the oven temperature wasn't communicated correctly...as if they were trying to hide something from us on purpose! So despite some repeatedly bad experiences with certain cooking websites, I'll still continue visiting them online to drool over the pictures- but I won't try another recipe from that website again. I guess you call that a culinary e-loyalty or something...

However there is one site where it works each and every time: BBC Good Food. Plus it's in metric which is so very convenient for us Europeans! I have the habit of searching through BBC Good Food on a regular basis, and recently I found a great keeper: cracked black pepper & figgy bread. The end result was excellent, the kitchen smelt fabulous for an entire day, and the bread was devoured much quicker then I had imagined! What more could I ask for?

Ready to enjoy on it's own or with goat cheese which might just be the perfect match!

Recipe for Cracked black pepper & figgy bread (from BBC Good Food)

650g strong white flour
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp salt

7g sachet easy blend yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
425-450ml/¾ pint-16fl oz warm water
350g dried, ready-to-eat figs, roughly chopped

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, pepper, salt and yeast. Stir in the olive oil and enough warm water to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until smooth and elastic.

2. Put the dough in a lightly oiled, large bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for about 1 hr or until doubled in size. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. When the dough has risen, knead it again to incorporate the figs, by pushing the dough and lightly kneading them in. Don't overwork the dough; it can look quite rough.

3. Shape the dough into a rough oval and put on a lightly floured baking sheet. Using scissors, slash the top of the loaf and sprinkle over a little flour. Leave it to rise again, uncovered, until slightly swelled, about 10-15 mins (if the kitchen is warm). Bake for 40-45 mins until it sounds hollow when you tap it underneath, then cool on a wire rack.

Bread-elights!

Bread is not something I make so often. Being in France, I usually enjoy buying the delicious bread, baguettes & co, available at charming boulangeries. Plenty of shapes, colours and tastes abundantly arranged on bakery shelves, to choose from. And please, spare me with the "carbs are bad" lectures. I LOVE CARBS and I'll shout that on top of a roof if necessary!

If I think about it, I have so many memories about bread. When I was a kid, I used to poke at the insides, and eat only the stuffing- the delightful soft fluffy bit- and leave the “hard” crusts to my parents. Aww...how sweet. I must had been a really nice kid eh. Then I also remember breaking chocolate bars and placing them between slices of warm bread. Now THAT is good stuff. Especially with butter- terribly sinful, but very forgivable! I also remember my grandfather introducing to me a very simple concoction: mix lemon juice with sugar, and spread that mixture on a buttered slice of bread. In some ways, I wish he hadn’t taught me that, because for many months later, it was pretty much all I was eating. Sugar, lemon, butter and bread. No wonder I developed a sweet tooth in my adulthood…And there is one thing I’m sure many can relate to- buying bread, and eating at least a quarter of it before you even get back home. It starts with breaking off a piece, then another one, get in the car, start the engine, eat another bite, start driving, stop at a traffic light, can’t resist the smell of fresh bread in your car, eat yet another bite…get back home and act completely astonished and clueless as to where half of the bread has disappeared! Oh!

With all these wonderful associations and thoughts about bread, naturally, I decided to make some. I wanted to make something pretty and tasty, so I thought of using some pistachios and green olives in my mix.

When the dough was ready, I found myself with a shape that led to something quite interesting. As my knife was slicing away, I realized that I was getting long biscotti shaped pieces- except that they were ten times softer then biscotti! These green polka-dotted breads would be perfect for a stylish dinner, placed in long glasses for people’s fingers to reach out to. Their fingers would then capture a delicate fragrant scent of olive oil... I absolutely loved the result, and am definitely sharing the recipe- just scroll down a bit more!

Recipe for olive & pistachio brown bread:

Ingredients:

• 250 g brown flour
• 15g yeast
• Green Olives
• Pistachio (unsalted)
• 20g olive oil + some for rubbing
• 150ml warm water

How to make it:

1. In a bowl, throw in the brown flour, prepared yeast, olive oil, pistachio, and diced olives. Do not add salt because the olives contribute to this. Mix these ingredients around for a bit.
2. Then add the warm water. Knead for 10 minutes. The kneading will help the bread’s elasticity, so it keeps a smooth surface when baked.
3. Place dough ball in an olive-oiled container, and leave so that it can rise.
4. Once risen, preheat oven to th8. Shape dough as desired, and bake for 10 mins on th8, and 20mins on th6 (timing depends on the size of the dough ball).

Take out of oven, slice and enjoy! This can also be made with white flour of course- whatever you prefer really!