The weekend has also involved visiting Christmassy things around Reading to start to get us in the mood. Historically we've spent this weekend at Bath Christmas market but we've decided to mix it up this year and head to Winchester instead. We're seriously considering hopping over to one of the European ones next year.
Last weekend we had friends over for dinner. Friends that are so old that they've known me since before I was born. I hesitate to tell people that I'm having an evening with my godparents because it has connotations of a completely different evening than the one that I actually have. My godfather works in a similar job to Mr K and my godmother is also a teacher and there is always lots to talk about. Mostly because they are just lovely people, not just because of their jobs!
Anyway, we've made excellent use of their hospitality in the past and I felt it was time to step up to the fore - cooking at home means that we don't need a babysitter and means that we aren't constantly having to keep an eye on/entertain D.
I planned to make Aubergine coconut curry with garlic rice - a real favourite of mine. A much better picture in this post thanks to my new light.
On the side, I'd hoped to make some onion bhajis and some naan breads. Sadly, the bhajis were a bit beyond the time that I had but the naan breads were a success. Naan breads can be a little hit and miss - a few times it's really gone a bit wrong.
This time however, it all came together and this will be the go to recipe for the future. They are fluffy and light. You can also save half of the dough, refrigerate it and roll and cook the following day - although same day naans are the best. These are a bit of an indulgence and involve me breaking into my 49 weekly points but sometimes, you just have to. You could serve the above curry without rice and just a naan, or cut out the melted butter if you needed to shave off some points. There's no reason that you couldn't share a naan either, halving the points.
Ingredients: -
600g strong bread flour
1 teaspoon of salt
10g fast action yeast
500ml warmed semi-skimmed milk
30g sunflower oil
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 minced garlic clove
20g melted butter
1 tablespoon nigella seeds/black onion seeds
1a. If you have a bread maker, put all ingredients in to your pan, bar the last two in the order in which the manufacturer suggests. Set to dough cycle. Skip to step 3.
1b. If you don't have a bread maker, mix the flour, salt, coriander and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well and add the wet ingredients - the yoghurt, oil, garlic and milk. You may not need to use all - so add slowly. The dough will be soft but not really wet.
2b. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. Shape into a ball then leave in a bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. This should be in a warm place - like the kitchen - while you're cooking.
3. Knock back the dough on a floured surface and divide into eight portions. Roll out each portion thinly into a naan shape or an oval shape. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for fifteen minutes.
4. Meanwhile preheat the oven to gas mark 8 and put your baking sheets in the oven to warm - this helps to cook the naan breads on the bottoms when they are in the oven.
5. Put the naan breads on the trays. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with seeds.
6. Bake for ten-fifteen minutes, until the bread begins to turn golden brown and puff up.
Serve warm.
If you've never made naan from scratch before, you really must.
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