Now to that big bunch of cilantro. I admit, I had some cilantro left over from last week. So, I combined the leaves from both bunches, and made this delicious grilled bread. I actually cooked my bread on a griddle indoors since I wasn’t in the mood to go outside and fight off the mosquitoes last night. Turned out perfectly.
No tricky yeast, the dough goes together quickly and rolls out perfectly. The recipe is from Fine Cooking. Substitute basil for the cilantro if you wish, or combine basil and cilantro. It’s all good.
Ingredients:
5 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed 4 teaspoons baking powder 4 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 cup plain yogurt 1 large egg 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup peanut or canola oil, plus more for brushing 1-1/2 cups roughly chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint 1/4 cup unsalted cashews or blanched almonds 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2/3 cup farmer cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (3-1/2 oz.)
Preparation:
Makes 10 naan
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Whisk the yogurt and egg in a medium bowl, then whisk in 1-1/2 cups of lukewarm water and the oil. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a soft, sticky dough starts to clump around the hook, about 5 minutes. If the dough seems too wet, add more flour, 1 tsp. at a time. Line a baking sheet with parchment and dust lightly with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and arrange them on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the dough with oil.
Combine the cilantro, mint, nuts, garlic, ginger, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped. Scrape the sides of the bowl, turn the processor back on, and pour the oil through the feed tube, mixing until incorporated. Transfer to a medium bowl.
On a lightly floured surface, roll a dough ball into a 5-inch circle. Spread about 2 tsp. of the filling in the center, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter 1 Tbs. of the crumbled cheese over the filling. Gather the border to form a pouch, pinching it to seal in the filling. Turn the pouch pinched side down and, using very light pressure, roll it into a 6-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue filling and shaping the dough, layering parchment between the breads if you stack them.
Prepare a medium charcoal or gas grill fire. Brush the grill grates with a stiff brush, then wipe with a lightly oiled paper towel. Grill the breads in batches pinched side down, covered, until they look puffy and the undersides brown lightly in places, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and cook the other side, covered, until grill marks form and the breads are cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.