Naan

We had a South Asian themed dinner one night, and my husband wanted to make naan. Naan is an Indian flatbread and is mighty tasty. We found this recipe and tried it. The ingredients are simple enough, but I am just not a big fan of kneading dough and I am never sure if I have kneaded enough or too much. Yes, I know about the gluten window, but it still doesn't give me much reassurance even when I get the window. I just need to get to know someone who makes a lot of homemade bread and I can learn from them.

Anyway, this turned out pretty good. I thought this naan was a little sweet though, which is not a flavor I am used to tasting in naan. My sister-in-law thought it tasted like Auntie Annie's pretzels - which is a good flavor, but not what I was going for. Regardless, all present really liked it and polished them off. I might try this again but with less sugar.

Dal Bhat

When we went to Nepal last year we had a Nepali househelper who would cook lunch for us, and we would have dal bhat almost every day. Dal means lentils, and bhat means rice. It is a staple meal for Nepalis and also most Indians. An Indian friend of mine told me that she can only go two or three days without dal bhat, and she has to eat it because her cravings for it are so strong! It is a comfort food for many South Asians. I have made it a few times since we left Nepal and it certainly reminds us of good times in Nepal. I tried a new recipe for dal bhat this week. It is more Indian than Nepali in the spices it calls for, but when I have tried to make Nepali dal bhat it never tastes quite right. This was great, very flavorful and a hearty meal. The recipe as written makes a lot, so I would probably half it if I make it again. It was tasty, but my stomach is not used to spicy food and was not happy with me for the next day or so. This is a good recipe though if you like Indian food and you are looking for a vegetarian dish.