Naan/ja: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox food

| region = [[Asian cuisine|Asia]]

| main_ingredient = [[Flour]], [[yeast]], [[Edible salt|salt]], [[sugar]], [[ghee]], [[water]]

'''Naan''' ({{IPAc-en|n|ɑː|n}}) is a [[Leavening|leavened]], oven-baked or [[tava|tawa]]-fried [[flatbread]], that can also be baked in a [[tandoor]]. It is characterized by a light and fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process. Naan is found in the cuisines  of [[Iranian cuisine|Persia]], [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asia]], [[South Asian cuisine|South Asia]], [[Southeast Asian cuisine|Southeast Asia]], and the [[Caribbean cuisine|Caribbean]].

Composed of white or wheat flour and combined with a leavening agent, typically yeast, naan dough develops air pockets that contribute to its fluffy and soft texture. Additional ingredients for crafting naan include warm water, salt, [[ghee]] and [[yogurt]], with optional additions like milk, egg, or honey. Baking powder or baking soda can be used instead of yeast to reduce the preparation time for the bread.

In the baking process using a tandoor, naan dough is rolled into balls, flattened and pressed against the inner walls, which can reach temperatures up to 480 °C (900 °F). This method allows the bread to be baked within minutes, achieving a spotty browning due to intense heat. Naan can be prepared on a stovetop using a [[tava]]. The pan may be flipped upside down over the flame to achieve browning on the bread's surface.

Once baked, naan is coated with [[ghee]] or butter and served warm. This soft and pliable bread accompanies meals, replacing utensils for scooping up sauces, stews, and curries, or with dryer dishes like tandoori chicken.

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==Etymology==

[[File:Naan Bakery, Iran, Qajar era (circa 1850).jpg|thumb|A naan bakery in [[Iran]], Qajar era (circa 1850 CE)]]

The term "naan" comes from [[Persian language|Persian]] ''nân'' ({{langx|fa|نان}}), a generic word for any kind of bread.

The earliest known English use of the term occurs in an 1803 travelogue written by [[William Tooke]]. While Tooke and other early sources spelled it "nan", the spelling "naan" has become predominant since the 1970s.

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==Varieties==

===Indian subcontinent===

Naan spread to the [[Indian subcontinent]] during the Islamic [[Delhi Sultanate]] period. The earliest mention of naan in the region comes from the memoirs of Indo-Persian Sufi poet [[Amir Khusrau]] living in [[India]] during the 1300s AD. Khusrau mentions two kinds of naan eaten by [[Muslims|Muslim]] nobles; Naan-e-Tunuk and Naan-e-Tanuri. Naan-e-Tunuk was a light or thin bread, while Naan-e-Tanuri was a heavy bread and was baked in the tandoor. During India’s [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] era in the 1520s, naan was a delicacy that only nobles and royal families enjoyed because of the lengthy process of making leavened bread and because the art of making naan was a revered skill known by few. The [[Ain-i-Akbari]], a record of the third Mughal emperor’s reign, refers to naan being eaten with [[kebab]]s or [[Ground meat|kheema]] in it. By the 1700s, naan had reached the masses in Mughal cultural centers in South Asia.

===Indonesia===

In [[Indonesia]], naan is a popular alternative to [[rice]] among the [[Indian Indonesian|Indians]], [[Arab Indonesian|Arabs]], [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malays]], [[Acehnese people|Acehnese]] and the [[Minangkabau people|Minangkabaus]], similar though not the same as [[roti]] or [[roti canai]] which was introduced from [[Tamils]]. This dish is known as roti naan or roti nan, and is cooked using Indonesian spices such as garlic.

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===Myanmar===

''Naan bya'' ({{langx|my|နံပြား}}) in [[Myanmar]] is traditionally served at teahouses with tea or coffee as a breakfast item. It is round, soft, and blistered, often buttered, or with creamy {{Transliteration|my|pè byouk}} (boiled [[chickpea]]s) cooked with onions spread on top, or dipped with [[Burmese curry]].

| image1 = [https://web.archive.org/web/20230206152139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/krsaurabh/sets/72157673470464083 A slideshow of Hyderabadi Kulcha / Naan / Sheermaal preparation images]. Published on [[Flickr]], ''retrieved 2023-02-06''}}

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==See also==

* [[Iranian cuisine#Bread|Iranian Naans]]

** [[Sangak]]

** [[Taftan (bread)|Taftoon]]

** [[Barbari bread|Barbari]]

** [[Lavash]]

* [[Tandoor bread]]

** ''[[Tandoori roti]]''

** ''[[Tandoori paratha]]''

** ''[[Tandyr nan]]''

* ''[[Bazlama]]''

* [[Shotis puri]]

* [[Tonis puri]]

* ''[[Matnakash]]''

* ''[[Paratha]]''

* ''[[Parotta]]''

* [[Afghan bread]]

* [[Indian breads]]

* [[Pakistani breads]]

* [[List of Pakistani breads]]

* [[List of Indian breads]]