Alright, so today I finally got around to making some paneer naan. You know how it is, sometimes you just get that craving, and shop-bought stuff just doesn’t cut it. So, I decided to roll up my sleeves and get it done.
Making the Dough First
First things first, the dough. This is the base, gotta get it right. I grabbed my usual all-purpose flour, nothing fancy. Chucked in a good dollop of plain yogurt – that’s my little trick for soft naan, always works. Then a pinch of sugar, not too much, just to get the yeast going if you’re using it, or to balance things out with baking powder. I used baking powder today, quicker. Salt, of course, and a bit of oil. Mixed it all up with some warm water.
Then came the kneading. I just dumped it on the counter and went at it. Worked it for a good 5-7 minutes, maybe more, until it felt smooth and, you know, stretchy. Not sticky, but soft. Covered it with a damp cloth and just left it on the side to rest. Gave it about an hour. You gotta let it sit, helps a lot.
The Paneer Filling – The Good Stuff
While the dough was doing its thing, I got on with the filling. This is where the magic happens for paneer naan, right? I had a block of paneer, crumbled it up real good with my fingers. No need for a grater, too much washing up.
Into the crumbled paneer, I threw in some finely chopped onions, a couple of green chilies – minced them small, I like a bit of a kick. Fresh coriander, lots of it, because why not? A bit of ginger, grated. Then the spices: garam masala, a bit of chaat masala for that tang, some red chili powder for color and a bit more heat, and salt to taste. Gave it all a thorough mix. You want every bite to have all those flavors. I tasted a tiny bit, just to check the seasoning. Always taste.
Putting It All Together
Okay, dough’s rested. Punched it down – satisfying, that. Divided it into a few equal-ish balls. Not too big, not too small. Then, one ball at a time, I rolled it out a bit, just a small circle. Plopped a generous spoonful of the paneer mixture right in the middle.
This is the tricky bit, sometimes. You gotta bring the edges of the dough up and over the filling, pinch them together tight to seal it all in. Like making a little money bag. Don’t want any of that lovely filling escaping when you cook it. Once sealed, I flattened it gently with my palm, then used the rolling pin again. Rolled it out into a sort of oval shape. Doesn’t have to be perfectly round. I like them a bit rustic. Sprinkled a few nigella seeds on top for that classic look and taste, pressed them in a bit.
Cooking Time!
Now for the cooking. I use my trusty old heavy-bottomed tawa, a cast iron one. Gets super hot, which is what you need. Got that tawa screaming hot on the stove.
Then I took a naan, brushed one side with a bit of water – this helps it stick to the tawa. Placed it water-side down onto the hot tawa. You’ll see bubbles start to form pretty quickly. That’s a good sign. Let it cook for a minute or two.
Then, the fun part. I flipped the entire tawa upside down, directly over the gas flame. This cooks the top side and gives it those nice charred spots, just like a tandoor. Well, almost. You gotta keep an eye on it, move it around so it doesn’t burn too much in one spot. Takes a bit of practice, but it’s worth it. If you don’t have a gas stove or don’t fancy flipping your pan, a very hot oven with a broiler can work, or even just cooking it on both sides in the pan like a thick flatbread, but the direct flame method is my go-to.
The Finishing Touch
Once it looked done – puffed up, golden brown with some nice char – I took it off the tawa. And the best part? A generous brush of melted ghee all over the hot naan. Oh man, that sizzle and smell. You just can’t skip this. Butter works too, but ghee is traditional.
And that’s it. Repeated the process for all the dough balls. Stacked them up. They went down an absolute treat with some chana masala I had. Hot, soft, stuffed with that spicy paneer. Way better than anything you can buy. Took a bit of effort, sure, but so satisfying to make it yourself. Definitely doing this again soon.
