Reasons Behind the Popularity Of Naan

One of the assorted varieties of breads is naan and it is very popular. Owing to its texture and taste, naan very complements all the gravy dishes and is savored by all. It is a type of flatbread which is highly popular in South and Central Asia. It is an essential part of Indian cuisine. Several stories reveal the origin of Naan and its mentioning in the books and poems of great writers and poets respectively. The oven-baked version of bread is so delightful in taste that one would like to eat more and more every time.

Stories about the origin of Naan recipe

It is said that Naan cuisine was first recorded around 1300 AD. It was first revealed by Amir Kushrau, an Indo-Persian poet. Again in 1926, the oldest Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy, in Britain included Naan in its menu. 

It is also said that during the Mughal era, Naan bread was served with Keema, Kabab or curries in breakfast. It was the popular dish of royal feasting.

Honeytop Specialty Foods for the first time introduced Naan bread on a commercial scale in 1984 . They came up with 13 week shelf-life bread. 

The word naan is inspired by Persian word non which means bread.

It was first prepared in the Imperial courts of Delhi in two popular versions. The first one is naan-e-tunuk or the light bread and the other is naan-e-tanuri which was cooked in tandoor oven. 

Basic ingredients of naan

The core ingredients of Naan recipe include all-purpose flour or maid, yeast, sugar, salt, ghee or butter and, yogurt. The dough is prepared in the way so that it has smooth and stretchy texture. However, baking powder can be used in place of yeast. To provide volume and maximum thickness, milk can be used for kneading. It is the way different than Chapatti as it is levelled with hand. It is further cooked in either tandoor oven or clay oven. However, in homes, inverted Tawa is used for baking it.

Naan recipe

Several varieties of Naan available

Well, when it comes variations in its form, the naan recipe can be transformed into different types based on taste and requirement. Today, you can find a 20 varities of naan, here are a few of them: 

Plain naan: the most common one which we know today is the simple naan which is brushed with ghee or butter. 

Kulcha naan: Kulcha is the popular chapatti-version in Punjab which is eaten with grams or chole. It has different fillings like onion, spices, Paneer and many more.

Roghani Naan: this version is highly popular in Pakistan and is topped with sesame seeds.

Kashmiri or Peshawari Naan: it is filled with dry fruits like raisin, pistachios and nuts. 

Amritsari Naan: it is stuffed with mashed potatoes and unique spices. Popularly known as ‘aloo naan,’ it originated in Amritsar, India.

Keema naan: It includes the filling of minced mutton, chicken or lamb

Chillie Cheese naan- If you love spices, then you must try this naan. Its an ultimate satiating bliss for the lovers of cheese and spice.

Varieties are many and the taste of each type is unique. Although high in calories, one should consume it accordingly. Moving from Southwest Asia to South Asia, there are several variations and are eaten differently in different nations.