Indian cooking / Dishes / Khurmi Naan

Khurmi Naan

Tomato & Cheese Naan

Vegetarian●●●Origin NewPrep 50 minutes, plus cooling timeCook 12–22 minutesMakes 6

These soft, pillowy naans are stuffed with a savoury, lightly sweetened tomato and melted cheese filling.

Spices for the tomato filling

1.3 gStirred into the reducing tomato purée (step 2)

Chilli powder · Lal Mirch Powder

1.3 g½ teaspoon

spice

Keep ready to add to the pan.

Everything else

Naan dough · Naan Ka Aata

100 g1 portion

other

Plain flour · Maidafor dusting

to taste

flour

Tomato · Tamatarpuréed

300 g

vegetable

Salt · Namak

~0.3 gpinch

salt

Granulated sugar · Cheeni

25 g2 tablespoons

sweetener

Cheesegrated

100 g

dairy

Ghee or butter · Gheefor greasing

to taste

oil/fat

Method

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Arrange them on a surface dusted with flour, then drape a damp cloth over the top to keep them moist.
Place a heavy skillet over medium heat, add 300 g tomato, puréed, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until reduced. Stir in 0.3 g salt, 25.2 g granulated sugar and the spices for the tomato filling, cooking for another few minutes until the sauce turns thick. Take off the heat, fold in 100 g grated cheese, and let the mixture cool completely.
If baking in an oven, preheat it to 200°C (400°F).
Flatten each ball of dough between your palms and place a portion of the cooled tomato-cheese mixture in the centre. Pinch the edges together tightly over the filling to seal, roll back into a ball, then flatten again and stretch gently into an elongated oval.
Cook using a tandoor or an oven: for a tandoor, transfer each naan with a cushioned pad to the inner wall and bake for 2 to 3 minutes before lifting out with tongs; for an oven, arrange the naans on a greased baking tray and bake for approximately 10 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned.

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Naan dough

Dough
Use the same weight of any plain wheat dough, rest it 20 minutes, then roll and cook as for naan. It will be less enriched and less soft than restaurant naan dough.
Self-raising flour
For 100 g naan dough, use about 60 g self-raising flour mixed with 40 g yoghurt or water to a soft dough; rest 20 minutes. The result is less chewy and less rich.

Plain flour

Whole wheat flour
Use the same weight, add 10–15% more water and rest the dough for 20 minutes; the result is heavier and nuttier.
Rice flour
Use the same weight for crisp coatings; for doughs use no more than half rice flour with wheat flour, or it will be crumbly.
Cornflour
For thickening use half the weight, mixed with cold water; it is not suitable for bread or chapati dough.

Tomato

Tomato purée
Use 40% to 50% of the fresh tomato weight mixed with a splash of water. Imparts a deeper red colour, thicker sauce, and slightly sweeter cooked flavour.
Plain yogurt
Use 60% of the weight, whisked smooth and added on low heat. Provides rich body and sourness, though the gravy becomes paler and creamier.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery
Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Chilli powder

Red chilli powder
Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.
Kashmiri chilli powder
Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.
Cayenne pepper
Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Cheese

Cheddar cheese
Use the same weight; grate or slice. Good all-purpose melting cheese, slightly sharper.
Processed cheese
Use the same weight; grate. Melts easily but is saltier, so adjust salt.
Paneer
Use the same weight; grate or crumble. Use where the cheese does not need to melt; it is firmer and less salty.

Ghee or butter

Ghee
Use the same weight. Gives a richer aroma and nuttier taste; if the dish already uses butter for finishing, ghee can make it slightly heavier.
Butter
Use the same weight. Lower smoke point than ghee, so keep the heat moderate; if unsalted, add a small pinch of salt.
Vegetable oil or ghee
Use about 90% of the weight. Less rich flavour; good when you want a lighter result.

Similar dishes

Rogani Kulcha

Rich Kulcha

Rogani Kulcha is considerably spicier and richer, lacking the sweet-tart tomato and savoury melted cheese flavours of this dish.

Same: Rogani Kulcha is also a leavened flatbread seasoned with chilli powder, sugar, and salt.
Different: Rather than being stuffed with tomatoes and cheese like this dish, Rogani Kulcha incorporates milk and vegetable oil directly into the dough and is finished with an egg-and-chilli glaze.

Tonk

Tomato Chutney

Tonk is much tangier, sweeter, and more pungently spiced than the mild, rich, and cheesy naan filling of this dish.

Same: Tonk shares a base of tomatoes seasoned with granulated sugar, salt, and chilli powder with this dish.
Different: Instead of being baked into a cheese-stuffed flatbread, Tonk is a simmered relish made with white malt vinegar, raisins, garlic, ginger, and extra fresh and dried chillies.

Dahi Papri ki Chaat

Biscuits (Crackers) in Spicy Yoghurt

Dahi Papri ki Chaat tastes cold, creamy, tangy and spicy from yogurt, chutney and chaat masala, while this dish tastes soft, savory and lightly sweet from tomato and cheese.

Same: Dahi Papri ki Chaat shares plain flour, chilli powder and ghee with this dish, and both are dough-based Indian foods.
Different: Dahi Papri ki Chaat is a fried-cracker chaat topped with chilled yogurt, cumin, chaat masala and tamarind, ginger or mango chutney, while this dish is a stuffed naan filled with tomato, sugar and cheese and finished with butter or ghee.

Ulte Tawe ka Paratha

Paratha Cooked on the Griddle

Ulte Tawe ka Paratha tastes delicately sweet and aromatic with a tender, flaky texture, while this dish tastes savory and tangy from tomato and cheese with a little chilli heat.

Same: Ulte Tawe ka Paratha and this dish are both flatbreads made from plain flour dough with salt, sugar, and a fat.
Different: Ulte Tawe ka Paratha uses cashew paste, milk, khus essence, and baking powder and is cooked on an inverted griddle with ghee, while this dish is a stuffed naan with tomato, cheese, and chilli powder and has no souring agent in Ulte Tawe ka Paratha.