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I think I do a pretty good job multi-tasking meals to the table. There’s a confidence that comes with years and years of practice. I also think some people have a knack for getting the various dishes to the table at the same time, perfectly cooked of course. I think I do OK most of the time.
But I must confess cooking is one thing, trying to take attractive, creative, eye-catching “finished” photos is quite another. When people stand around asking me when dinner will be done and I still need to take photos and get creative with the “food styling”, more often than not, I crack under the pressure. I don’t spaz out and have some sort of meltdown, I usually just grab the camera and shoot hoping to get something, anything, I can use on the blog. Sometimes this approach works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
That’s what happened when I made the Chicken Tikka Masala with homemade Naan Bread. It all came together at the same time and I was able to get a few photos of the chicken with Naan on the side. When it came to taking pictures of the Naan alone I fell victim to the pressure and went to eat dinner with the family! The aroma of the perfectly spiced, tender chicken, inspired my decision. But then I wanted to post this recipe because honestly it was fantastic! I will make this simple, wonderful, skillet Indian bread again and again. So please overlook the not-so-great photos and roll with the dough, so to speak.
It was all I could do to take these few pictures before the Naan was devoured. Cookies are much easier to shoot. Throw a few to the wolves while sneaking away with a camera to find the best daylight – easy peasy! When people (and you know who you are) stand behind me holding a dinner plate, I get out of the way.
PRINT THE RECIPE!
Naan – Indian Flat Bread
Prep Time: 32 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 37 minutes
Yield: 8
Course: Bread
Simple, wonderful, skillet Indian bread.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- melted butter for spreading on the finished Naans
- coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with ¾ cup warm water (about 100-105°F). Allow the yeast to bloom until it’s frothy, about 10 minutes.
- Sift the flour, salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- Once the yeast is frothy, gently stir in the yogurt and olive oil directly in the glass. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork just until incorporated. Just when the mixture starts to come together, mix the dough with your hands. It may seem a little wet but keep gently folding and working until you have a soft, slightly sticky, pliable dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let is sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2-4 hours.
- When ready to roll out the dough have two bowls on the counter. One with extra flour and the other one with water. Separate the dough into 6 equal parts and lightly roll each one in the bowl with extra flour to keep them from sticking together.
- Roll the dough into the traditional teardrop Naan shape using a rolling pin. Each Naan should be about 8-9 inches long, 4-inches wide, and about ¼ inch thick.
- Warm a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. You will also need a lid large enough to fit the skillet.
- Mix the cilantro into the melted butter and have it standing by along with the coarse sea salt. Dampen your hands with the water, flip-flopping the Naan from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Place the dough in the skillet and cook for about one minute. The dough should start to bubble. Flip the Naan and cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Don’t worry if some of the bubbles are blackened, this is good. Brush each cooked Naan with a little butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the Naan on a tea towel and repeat with the rest of the dough. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Adapted from a recipe Aarti Sequeira on foodnetwork.com
Nutrition
Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 2mg
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Indian Butter Chicken
Stephanie
What is your favorite subject matter to shoot? <br />Cookies! (definely after people though)<br /><br />And if you don't have a camera which would you pick – a Canon, Nikon or iPhone? I am currently using a Nikon. I wouldn't change! Although I would love to upgrade my lense!
Mary Younkin
How on earth did I not comment on this yet? I clicked over within minutes of you publishing it, because I happened to be working on my blog at the same time. Weird. I could have sworn I left a comment. At any rate, the naan looks awesome!! I attempted a GF version of naan last week and whoa, was it a far cry from the goal. It was actually bad enough that I won't be attempting it again anytime
Hungry Jenny
Hey Tricia, the photos of your naan bread look so good, I can't believe you think they are 'not-so-great'! I'm rubbish with shooting photos under pressure, but it's mainly me getting annoyed with myself taking loads of pics at different angles whilst the food is getting cold! So I like shooting desserts or anything that has a bit of colour – and ideally in a good light, haha.<
Stacey @notcrocker
I love to shoot breakfast foods and baked goods! And I love to shoot them in the morning, it's when my apartment has the best light! I have an old point-and-shoot Canon but would love to upgrade within Canon, I like their cameras.
e.s.
love to shoot food most of all;also roads (hows that for an interesting combo? lol)
e.s.
liked on facebook
Mary
I think your photos are fine! I, too, cook and photo as I go along and understand the scramble required to both photograph and serve the feature of the next day's post. You've risen to the challenge. Your naan looks delicious. Have a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary
Gerry @Foodness Gracious
Joined you on FB, can't believe I didn't already!!
Gerry @Foodness Gracious
I like to shoot anything that's not "live" and I don't mean animals or such..I mean like ice cream or a cheeseburger, anything that limits my time and puts me under pressure to get a decent pic. So that leaves me cookie, brownies, loaf cakes, bread..anything that wont change no matter how long I want to snap away for 🙂 Love the book btw!
Roz P.
I've already 'liked' and been a follower of Saving Room for Dessert on Facebook for some time now and I love it.. Thanks again! <br />Roz
Roz P.
My favorite item to shoot photos of is a platter of fresh fruit or vegetables in their original shapes, un-cut or prepared. I think that they are just natural objects (foods) of beauty. I love my Canon, but if I could afford one, I'd buy a Nikon. I would love to win this book because I truthfully would love to shoot photos as beautiful as yours and need all of the help that I can get!
Anna and Liz Recipes
HI Tricia! We love your recipes! And your photos are amazing! Keep them coming!! What subject do we love to shoot the most? Hmmm, well.. I know Liz loves to shoot the kids first, then food. I really don't have a favorite, I love to photograph beautiful things, anything really. And that book would come in handy since Liz uses a Canon and I use the Nikon. We like you on facebook.
TLady
You know how I take pictures when everyone wants to eat & I'm just not done? I get EVERYONE to HELP ME!!!!! LOL My Hubby is my TASTE TESTER so that helps! 🙂 I DO know what you mean about people standing there wanting to eat though! My hubby just jumps in to help me! There ARE TIMES when things are put on the table though, that don't belong there! :/ BUT, that's just how life is!
Alex
Thank you! I love naan bread but have never looked for the recipe. Love the photos!<br /><br />Favourite subject matter to photograph? Definitely desserts. The sweeter, the better.
The Café Sucré Farine
Tricia, we love naan and yours look delicious! I totally "get" your dilemma. I have gotten to the point where I don't even plan to get pictures when the family is around. <br />To answer your question, it seems my favorite thing to shoot keeps changing. I'll think a certain thing is easy and then the next time we try to do it, it's a big flop. I love to cook soups and salads
Patricia @ ButterYum
I liked you on facebook – would LOVE it if you returned the favor. My poor fb page is new and doesn't have very many likes yet.<br /><br />http://www.facebook.com/ButterYum.ATastyLittleFoodBlog
Patricia @ ButterYum
Oh my could I use a copy of that book. I have the same problem trying to get good photos just before meal time. I have probably 100 or more posts that were never published because I don't have a good photo of the recipe to share, so the posts wait until the next time I make that recipe (and yes, one of the recipes is for Naan – a Dorie Greenspan recipe). Along the way I've learned to try
Jane
I think your naan looks just fabulous! I know what you mean, though, about the problem of photographing food at the same time that you're trying to prepare it. It can create ridiculous situations, at least in my kitchen! I made naan once in an artisan breads class, but I've never tried it at home. You've given me courage to give it a whirl!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
Oh, I liked you on Facebook too 🙂
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
You Naan bread does look delicious. I can understand why it was hard to get a shot before it was devoured. I've never made it before and will try your recipe. <br /><br />I think we all struggle with photos. If it's a dessert or something that can be made ahead of time it's easy. But with dinner items it's so hard. Not only is lighting not the best but the food is getting
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
I would LOVE to make this naan bread – it looks SO good. I actually have that book – it's fabulous – although I really struggle to get good pics!<br />Mary x
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen
Oh YUM! I have been trying to come up with something for the Meatless Mondays A-Z, Y is for Yeast week in a couple of weeks, and maybe I need to think a little bit about naan…<br /><br />You KNOW I need help with food photography…seriously, I fail constantly. Thanks for turning me on to this giveaway. :)<br /><br />Favorite subject matter to shoot? Bright fruits and veggies, outdoors at the
Sue/the view from great island
Great giveaway Tricia, I haven't seen this book and boy do I need it. My favorite things to shoot, I think, are cookies because they don't fall apart, ooze, wilt, topple, sag, dry up, fade, coagulate, or otherwise lose their looks minutes after plating!
Kari Lindsay
Tricia, you're photo of the Naan is what lured me in. I hear you though; my husband is always looming over my shoulder, and I feel the pressure just to quickly get some kind of a photo to blog.<br /><br />My favorite subject to shoot are my cats.<br /><br />I am actually looking to get a blog worthy camera, and have no idea what kind of camera I'll get.
Chatty Crone
I found you on Facebook and I already had liked you! YEAH! sandie
Chatty Crone
I love the look of that bread.<br />My favorite thing to shoot – grandkids.<br />And I would buy a cannon rebel.<br />I looked up Facebook and there are many Saving Rooms for Dessert – which one is yours?<br />I would LOVE that book.<br />Love, sandie
Big Dude
We use Naan quite often and it's usually in our fridge – yours looks very good. While in Afghanistan with the army, our son said that it was the best part of every meal. Making it sounds simple enough and we'll give it a try sometime. My best photos don't look as good as your on-the-fly ones so I probably need the how-to book.
Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow
Okay, the photos you are claiming are on-the-fly and not-so-good look better than any I EVER take!! LOL! And, I could tell you, that looks so good I wouldn't have gotten ANY photos! LOL! <br /><br />You know I love photographing knits… I keep wanting to go to a class on that… they have 'em. But, I'm pretty sure the techniques must be the same. 😉 My poor little Canon is
Angie's Recipes
Ooops, forgot to answer the question<br />What is your favorite subject matter to shoot? <br />Composition and lighting<br />I have a canon, and if I didn't own one, I might consider to get a Nikon.
Angie's Recipes
Fantastic! These homemade naan are so professionally baked, Tricia.<br />And I would love to win the copy..well, I guess everybody wants it!<br />So wish me good luck!