Garlic Naan !!

Naan is the most popular Indian flatbread in the United States. My family could never eat it in the restaurant as they put an egg in theirs. There is no version of gluten-free Naan available in the market, so I decided to convert the traditional recipe for quick wheat naan to a gluten-free one. My kids were absolutely floored with the results, and now I make it once a week.
Many versions of coal and wood-fired clay ovens are found all over Northern India. These large tandoori clay ovens are especially suited for baking flatbread. When the smooth clay walls of the range are hot, thickish flatbread is slapped right onto the inner walls, where they cook quickly, partially puffing and taking on a smoky flavor. With a long metal skewer, each bread is pierced and carefully peeled off the wall. Tandoori bread has a trademark flavor combining the clay and smoke with sensational crusts and is popularly called NaanNaan.
 Naan is leavened white flour bread made simply by hand-slapping soft dough into large, roughly tear-drop shapes. They are traditionally leavened with a non-yeast starter, much like old-fashioned sourdough. The chancy wild yeast starter is made with only flour and water mixed to a paste, covered, and set in a warm nook, where it attracts the wild yeast organisms in the air and begins to grow.
From practical experience, this sometimes works and sometimes does not, especially when trying to make a gluten-free version of it, so I made this quick version with yogurt with no yeast, which turned out better than any of my imagination...
 You can make this with regular white flour or whole wheat flour too. Actually, it was even better than the restaurant one, or at least that's what my husband said )).
 Since we don't have a tandoori oven in the house, I used a flat cast iron griddle, which worked surprisingly well. I didn't use yeast in this recipe but instead used baking powder to have the same effect. This is a must-try recipe. The bread tastes amazingly well with the choice of north Indian or Punjabi curries and can be quickly served for lunch and dinner. 

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

 2 cup gluten-free Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour ( I use the brand  gf Jules or bobs mill 1 to1 flour )

¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

¼ cup vegan yogurt

1 tsp garlic, grated

water, for kneading about 3/4 cup-1 cup ( add water slowly to bring the dough together)

FOR GARLIC BUTTER:

3 tbsp vegan butter melted or 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil 

1 tsp garlic, grated1 tsp garlic, grated

2 tbsp coriander finely chopped

Directions

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients 2 cups gf baking flour, ¼ tsp baking soda and 1 tsp baking powder, and ¾ tsp salt and mix well.

2. Now add 2 tbsp oil, ¼ cup curd, and 1 tsp garlic and mix well, making sure everything is well combined.

3. Add water as required and knead to a smooth and soft dough.

4. Grease the dough with oil, cover, and rest for 2-3 hours.

5. Meanwhile, prepare garlic butter by mixing 3 tbsp vegan butter, 1 tsp garlic, and 2 tbsp coriander.

6. After 2 hours, knead the dough slightly to remove any air present in the dough 

7. Pinch a ball-sized dough and gently roll to an oval shape ( just like the restaurant-style ) using a rolling pin. Make sure you do not make it too thin nor thick and also keep the size in mind. It should not be larger than your griddle size.

8. One side of the Naan is grease with water with a brush; make sure you coat uniformly as this helps Naan to stick on the Tawa / cast iron griddle 

9. Slowly flip over and put THE WET SIDE on hot cast iron griddle / Tawa. Remember, be gentle and put the water-coated side down to Tawa. ( do not use nonstick Tawa )Press slightly. This helps the Naan stick onto the Tawa, and when you flip the tawa upside down, it will be intact.
10. After a minute, flip the tawa upside down and cook Naan directly on flame till they turn golden brown. This is the tricky part that takes a few times, and even if the Naan falls out, don't worry, cook it on the other side, and then with tongs, cook on the flame till it's golden brown.

11. Once cooked, brush with some prepared garlic butter mixed with coriander leaves.
12. Gently scrape the Naan from the bottom and remove it.
Serve garlic naan hot with your favorite curries like palak tofu or channa masala. Enjoy them hot !!

Tips::
1. All flours work for this recipe gluten-free and regular all-purpose flour

2. Do not use a nonstick pan as it slides down while flipping over, and do not apply any oil to the pan as it prevents Naan from sticking to the pan.