Compare my naan to this machine-made naan that I picked up in Itaewon:
See what I mean about the oval shape? Naan don't have to be oval, as I explained in my previous post, but this is how most such flatbreads look. Here, below, is the backside, with the "stripes" that give away the fact that I didn't bake this bread:
Once reheated, the store-bought naan had almost the same consistency (and lack of bubbling*) as my own naan. See why I like naan as a substitute for Greek pita?
Speaking of Greek stuff: I had to test out my gyro meat tonight, so I cut twelve strips of the meat and fried the strips on my griddle. I crumbled some feta tonight, and I also made tzatziki (perfect on the first try—no tweaking this time), so I cobbled together a quickie gyro. Result: delicious. The gyros will be even more so on Friday once we add the olives, tomatoes, lettuce, and (gack) onions for those who like onions.
Anyway, there's the store-bought naan versus my naan.
Note to self: cut thicker strips of meat so they can be a bit moister after frying.
*I think I should clarify what I mean by "lack of bubbling." I'm referring to the cooked naan after it's cooled. Obviously, any naan will bubble during cooking, but once the bread cools down, it settles and becomes—at least in my case, and apparently also in the case of machine-made naan—something denser. Well-made restaurant naan, by contrast, will keep some of its bubbles even after cooling. Such naan is light and airy, and a pleasure to tear apart with the hands. Like your mom.
Incidentally, if you want to get that rounded tear drop, you need to start with a perfectly smooth and round ball of dough. Then, as you roll it out, you'll want to pull one side of the dough to elongate it a little bit. How much you tug on your balls will determine how long the protrusion is in your final product (as is often the case).
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