What is Naan Bread ?
The Westerners remain obsessed with their daily bread and was gently advised by Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France to eat cake instead. The Indians have not warmed to the traditional bread in spite of being under the British rule for 200 years. The reason is simple enough! The number of flat breads in India are simply too delicious to resist. Hence every Indian is in love with his rotis, parathas and naan and forgoes the bread quietly and discreetly.
What is naan bread though? It is a flat bread from the tandoor or clay pot of India and found all over the world now including the STEAM, the 100% Indian restaurant at Auckland. The term has travelled thousands of miles to come to India from Persia (present day Iran) though. It had regaled the Mughals for centuries before finding acceptance with the general populace of India. Although naan is believed to be a strong favorite of the North Indians, its appeal has managed to melt the heart of South & East Indians too.
No worries if you are wary of attempting to cook it on a home grill that resembles a tandoor. You may be in for disappointment as the fluffy naan can only be made in a special clay oven by a skilled chef who has years of training and experience behind him. The soft center along with the charred smell happens to make the naan unique. Forget toiling over a hot oven at the moment therefore and sit yourself down at a table in STEAM. You will be pleased to find several varieties of this wonderful flat bread find place in the menu. Try ordering the one that appears to be delectable. No worries, you can always come back to savor more once your stomach lets out a satisfied burp.
Here are some exciting choices. Do check and yell for your naan.
Naan– The plain naan is always the best! Try its chewy texture and scoop up the liquid curry with it. You will not notice how fast the time flies so engrossed you will be on eating the flat bread or the traditional naan trench if you will.
Garlic Naan – Forget the garlic bread that you get at the famous pizza counters. It is time to taste the garlicky naan instead. You will actually prefer this one as the bread comes to you with the distinct flavor of garlic that helps you to tuck in without restraint.
Cheese Naan – You would not have trouble saying cheese once take a big bite of the cheese filled naan. The aromatic and healthy Indian herbs give the naan a classic flavor that will be hard to forget.
Kashmiri Naan – Another specialty and a hot favorite at STEAM and elsewhere. The soft bread chock-a-block with delicious dry fruit brings the memories of Kashmir valley alive.
Chilly Naan – Hot N Happening! That is exactly how you would describe this particular form of Naan. The green chillies together with the fragrant coriander leaves permeates the inside of the naan with a unique flavor making you reach out for one more.
