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Roghni naan
روغنی نان (roghni naan): Lahore's soft, milky leavened naan brushed with oil and crusted with sesame
Pakistani"Roghan" is the oil or fat that gives this bread its name, and in the old tandoors around Lahore's Bhati Gate the naanbai stretch each round of milk-enriched dough, press grooves into it with their fingertips, slap on a wash of milk and oil and a fistful of sesame, and bake it in seconds against the clay wall. It comes out puffy at the rim, soft and slightly sweet in the middle, with a nutty, toasted top. Pakistanis buy it hot for Friday lunches and dinner parties to eat with karahi, nihari-style stews, haleem or a plain bowl of dal. A home oven turned to its highest setting with a heavy tray or stone inside does a fine job. Most failures come from a dough that is too stiff, which bakes into a dry, cracker-like disc instead of a pillow. Chef's tip: keep the dough tacky, oil your hands rather than flouring them when you shape it, and bake under the grill for the last minute to blister the sesame.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour (maida)
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 /2 tsp baking powder
- 3 ½ oz plain yogurt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
For the topping
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji) (optional)
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour (maida), ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 2 tsp sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 /2 tsp baking powder in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add 3 ½ oz plain yogurt, 1 cup warm milk and 3 tbsp vegetable oil and mix to a shaggy dough, then knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft and slightly tacky.
Step 3: Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
90 minStep 4: Put a heavy baking tray or pizza stone on the top shelf of the oven and heat to 475°F (or as high as it goes) for at least 20 minutes.
20 minStep 5: Knock back the dough and divide it into six balls; cover and rest them for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Whisk 3 tbsp milk with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
Step 7: With oiled hands, press one ball into an oval about 18 cm long and 1 cm thick, then press a pattern of deep dimples or lines into the middle with your fingertips, leaving a 1.5 cm rim.
Step 8: Brush with the milk and oil wash and sprinkle generously with 3 tbsp white sesame seeds and 1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji), pressing lightly so they stick.
Step 9: Slide two naans onto the hot tray and bake for 5–6 minutes, until puffed and golden underneath with brown patches on top.
6 minStep 10: For a deeper colour, put the naans under a hot grill for 30–60 seconds, watching closely, until the sesame is golden.
1 minStep 11: Wrap the baked naans in a clean tea towel to keep them soft while you bake the rest, and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roghni naan take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 120 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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