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Re: Naan in a tandoor oven
Hi All,
My wife and I made naan bread on Monday and it was great. I learned a lot about naan recipes by viewing tandoor websites and reading the manufacturer/distributor information and recipes for use in their products. It seems that baking powder is added as insurance so that the bread actually rises and bubbles if either the yeast or soda/yogurt don't do their jobs. Also, many cooks don't make the yeast recipe naan breads and one website stated authentic recipes don't use yeast at all. Having learned all that, I made the baking powder/yeast recipe and it was fantastic. Soft, tender, pillows, of hot bread to go with our chicken tikka and veggie kababs.
The bread pad is indeed referred to as a gaddi. Google "gaddi" to find other meanings. I have first hand experience deconstructing a gaddi and it was a genuine original made of long grass leaves inside and two wrappings of cotton cloth on the outside. The cloths are tied together one over the other. The outside cloth can be laundered when it becomes soiled. The long knots on the back of the gaddi provide a place for beginners to slide their fingers under to get a good grip. Notice that the naan cook moistened both the gaddi and naan with a little water from a bowl. This is essential for keeping the naan on the pad and also helps to stick the bread to the hot clay.
Two tandoor sites I visited provided instructions on how to wipe the clay walls of the tandoor with a light salt solution. This is supposed to help the bread stick. I think it helps cure the clay walls by slightly filling pores in the clay surface.
Tandoors are "black ovens" the charcoal is placed directly in the bottom of the pot and allowed to become fully involved before cooking. I checked temperatures during full heat and found them to vary from middle to top with the hottest area being midway above the air vent. The highest temperature on this particular tandoor was 640 deg F at that location. The naans stuck perfectly....um, mostly....... except for one. This is when I learned that the gaddi should be slightly moistened so the naan will not slide off and into the belly of the dragon. Otherwise, success on our first try.
Cheers,
Hi All,
My wife and I made naan bread on Monday and it was great. I learned a lot about naan recipes by viewing tandoor websites and reading the manufacturer/distributor information and recipes for use in their products. It seems that baking powder is added as insurance so that the bread actually rises and bubbles if either the yeast or soda/yogurt don't do their jobs. Also, many cooks don't make the yeast recipe naan breads and one website stated authentic recipes don't use yeast at all. Having learned all that, I made the baking powder/yeast recipe and it was fantastic. Soft, tender, pillows, of hot bread to go with our chicken tikka and veggie kababs.
The bread pad is indeed referred to as a gaddi. Google "gaddi" to find other meanings. I have first hand experience deconstructing a gaddi and it was a genuine original made of long grass leaves inside and two wrappings of cotton cloth on the outside. The cloths are tied together one over the other. The outside cloth can be laundered when it becomes soiled. The long knots on the back of the gaddi provide a place for beginners to slide their fingers under to get a good grip. Notice that the naan cook moistened both the gaddi and naan with a little water from a bowl. This is essential for keeping the naan on the pad and also helps to stick the bread to the hot clay.
Two tandoor sites I visited provided instructions on how to wipe the clay walls of the tandoor with a light salt solution. This is supposed to help the bread stick. I think it helps cure the clay walls by slightly filling pores in the clay surface.
Tandoors are "black ovens" the charcoal is placed directly in the bottom of the pot and allowed to become fully involved before cooking. I checked temperatures during full heat and found them to vary from middle to top with the hottest area being midway above the air vent. The highest temperature on this particular tandoor was 640 deg F at that location. The naans stuck perfectly....um, mostly....... except for one. This is when I learned that the gaddi should be slightly moistened so the naan will not slide off and into the belly of the dragon. Otherwise, success on our first try.
Cheers,
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