Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays: Naan-tastic!

I can try to explain to you how much I love naan bread, but you probably wouldn't really understand. I could eat it all day, everyday. I love it dipped, topped with salty or sweet things, plain, hot or cold. I know naan is not a new food trend by any means. I know a ton of people who use naan in their meals on a regular basis. For this post I just want to give you a little run down on the different ways I use naan and hopefully one of these ways will be new to you!
Use more Naan by:
1. Dipping it in your soup.

Photo from Emily at Back to the Cutting Board blog.
I imagine this would taste good with most soups, but I usually use it with this recipe for African Peanut Soup. Beats crackers by a long shot. I bet it would go well with chili too!

2. Making a meatball sandwich or a taco.


This is the easiest weeknight supper ever. Do up some pre-cooked frozen meatballs in the microwave and coat them with BBQ sauce. While they're nuking, fry up some peppers and onions if you like. Throw it all on a piece of naan and add tomatoes and voila-- instant supper. This can be served with a salad or some fresh cut up veggies. You can also try any other type of sandwich, how about chicken & asparagus? Also you can try making either a bean or beef taco by topping it with meat, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa.
3. Piling it with pizza toppings.


 Another super-easy lunch or supper here. Spread some pizza sauce or pasta sauce on the bread, leaving a half an inch or so along the edges to give it a "crust." Then top it with some spices & your favorite pizza toppings. I love using goat cheese or feta, peppers, spinach and bacon. Bake at 375 or 400 until the crust is warm and the cheese is melted. Use a fork & knife to eat or cut it into quarters and dig in, like me! A similar idea I've tried is making big bruschetta pizzas drizzled with balsamic. More bruschetta is always better... Oh, and I bet garlic fingers would work too!

4. Creating healthier make-shift Beavertails. 

Photo courtesy of cbc.ca
This one I've only tried once, but I've been craving it ever since I saw that the Beavertails stall on the waterfront is now open. To make them, heat up the oven to 350, spread butter on the bread and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake until soft and warm. Also, you could try heating it up without the butter and then doing PB and banana, chocolate drizzle or maple butter. Yum! I really need to get on this.... now.

5. Serving it with dips.

Tzatziki, hummus, edamame dip, red pepper dip.... I wish I could try them all. You can either just warm the naan up in the microwave or crisp it up in the oven for a different texture.


It's fun to have naan with Indian food, but I hope you've got some ideas for working it into your regular, everyday meals. Let me know how you use this lovely bread.  Thanks for reading!

xo Janelle

3 comments:

  1. Have you ever had homemade naan? Ohhhhh myyyyy it is amazing! There was this little old Indian lady who would come to the Farmer's market and make fresh, authentic naan-literally make the dough and form it on the burner-thing. Amazing.

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  2. Janelle all of these look delish!! I love the pizza idea, I've never done that. Mostly I love just dipping mine in raitha or hummus. And I was about to make a comment about how your homemade ones when I saw the above comment. You should share that recipe!!

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  3. Alex: There is an amazing Indian restaurant in Moncton, New Brunswick called the Taj Mahal (what else?) and they make their naan in a tandoor oven right on site. Its absolutely melt in your mouth delicious!

    Val: I'll have to give it a go again. I'm still trying to find a perfect cooking method. And, next on the list of recipes to try is the homemade bagels that you & Beth made!

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