naan and aloo matar

Originally I was making this dough to make luchis (puris) but changed my mind later. This is a first-time naan recipe, but turned out good. I was in a rush to finish up the naan and didn't feel like turning on the oven, so tried something quick like prepping it on the stove-top instead. But it turned out well :-)

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
1-1/2 cups water
2-3 tbsp carom seeds (ajwain)
Salt to taste

Steps

1. Mix all the ingredients except water.
2. Add water and knead well. Because of the gluten content, all-purpose flour is more elastic than whole wheat flour so it combines and kneads much more easily.
3. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. I ended up setting it aside, keeping it in a well-closed container in the fridge, and making naans the day after.
4. Divide the dough into even portions and roll into balls.
5. Flour your rolling board and roll out. It was impossible to make circle-shaped naans so don't worry about the shape. Focus more on rolling it out evenly throughout.
6. On a pan at medium heat, place the naan and cover with a lid. I did this to create a hot environment throughout the pan for the naan.
7. Once it seems to bubble up and you can see the color of the dough changing from pearly white to peachy brown, flip it over.
8. After another minute on the another side, flip over and apply some oil and flip back over again.
9. Give 30 seconds on both sides after oil application.
10. Press down on the naan with a spatula to make sure the bread is cooked through. No one likes undercooked doughy centers!
11. Ready to serve!

                  

Even though this was originally going to be luchi & aloo matar, I always say there's no right way of pairing up foods. Food is supposed to nourish us and make us happy, so let's enjoy without overthinking it. This recipe has been adapted from Vegan Richa (thank you!).

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (sarson)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
1-2 teaspoons coriander powder (dhaniya)

1-2 teaspoons turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 bay leaves - I used one huge bay leaf

3 medium potatoes boiled and cubed

3 roma tomatoes chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger
1 green chili
3-4 sprigs of cilantro

1 cup water
Salt or to taste

1 tsp garam masala

Steps

1. Puree the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chili, and cilantro and keep aside.
2. In a deep pan or a wok, on medium heat, add the 2 teaspoons oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and fenugreek seeds.
3. Once the seeds start to sputter, add the coriander powder and turmeric powder, and mix for a few seconds. Powdered spices will burn real quickly so be ready with the next steps! 
4. Add the puree from step 1 and cook down for 10-15 minutes, or until most of the moisture is gone and the spiced masala tomato blend is left. Try smelling the reduced mixture - if it smells like tangy tomatoes or raw spices, let it cook down further.
5. Add the cubed boiled potatoes and one cup of water, salt and garam masala. Let cook for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Taste and adjust. I ended up adding extra salt!
7. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve!