This recipe was passed to me by an acquaintance in the Indian Police Service many years ago.  It makes 12-16 Naan Breads so you may want to use some, and chill some, of the prepared Naans.  It probably means you will have to enjoy Curries for several days……. I know, I know, it’s a hard life, but someone has to do it………..

Ingredients:

Bag of strong plain flour [not the el-cheep-o brand perleese!]; 2 tsp sugar; 1 tsp dried yeast; 1 tsp salt; pack of unsalted butter or ghee; 2 to 3 tsp each of Kalonji [Black Onion Seed], Cumin Seed, Poppy Seed. Jug with 1 pint of warm water / milk mixture 50/50 with the sugar and yeast added, cover in a warm place ’til frothy.

Sift out flour – add salt & seeds and mix thoroughly.  Cut up 1/2 the butter into small bits and ‘crumb’ into the flour.  Mix to dough adding the water/milk mix ’til a smooth dough obtained.  Cover in the mixing bowl with an oiled clingfilm or damp tea towel and leave in a warmish place to rise for an hour or so.  Then gently melt remaining butter / ghee

When risen, knock down, remove from bowl and knead lightly on a floured surface.  Roll into a long ‘sausage’ then cut into 12+ lumps.  [you can add almond flakes and sultanas at the ‘sausage’ stage to emulate a ‘Peshawari’ Naan if you really have to………] Roll and/or pull out into ‘India’ shapes, then stab each one with a fork about 6 times each side.

Cook 2 or 3 at a time under a hot grill, flipping when browned.  Take out each lot when done, coat with butter both sides, and pile up on a warmed plate covering with tinfoil to keep hot.

They keep remarkably warm in their tinfoil ‘hut’ and allow you time to panic about something else!