Peshwari Naan

Guys, I love this stuff.  LOOOOOVE it.  Honestly, I don't understand why you would make or eat any other kind of naan.  It was a hard road getting this figured out....I had several instances of failed attempts.  And my husband claims that I used to just make garlic naan because I couldn't get the peshwari naan right, but I don't recall ever having done that.  Why make naan if you're not going to make the good stuff?  If you love garlic naan, we can probably still be friends (assuming I haven't offended all three of you readers into not wanting to be friends), just keep your boring naan to yourself.  If you are generally unfamiliar with naan, I'm sad for you that you have yet to be introduced to this delicious Indian flatbread--you should most definitely become familiar with it as soon as humanly possible.

Peshwari Naan

Number of Servings: 12 pieces of naan
Time to Prepare: 3 hours 15 minutes

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted

Pour the milk into a liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave until warm to the touch (about 110 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Mix the sugar and yeast into the milk and let it sit for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is foamy. 

Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour.  Mix well to combine. Continue adding flour gradually in small amounts, until a soft dough is formed that cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough by mixer or hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest at room temperature, covered lightly with greased plastic wrap, for about 2 hours.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the into 12 equal pieces, rounding each into a ball shape. Cover the pieces with a towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. 

Place almonds, raisins, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk in a food processor and blend until it comes together as a thick paste (it will not be completely smooth).  (**Just a side note here, when I make the filling, I usually kind of eyeball it--the amounts don't have to be super exact.)

Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, one by one, flatten each piece into a thick circle.  Place about 1 Tbsp of filling onto half of the circle.  Fold the circle in half to enclose the filling and seal. Flatten slightly with your hand, then carefully roll each piece into an oblong shape, about 8 inches long. Lay the circle of dough on the hot pizza stone. Close the oven and bake the naan for 3-4 minutes, until brown spots begin to appear on the top (they may puff up a bit as well). Remove the naan from the baking stone and place on a cooling rack. Brush lightly with melted butter. Stack the hot naan on top of each other as it comes out of the oven. Cover with a towel and let the naan cool completely or serve warm.

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe