2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge - N is for Naan bread - Peshwari naan

Today's installment of the A to Z blogging Challenge was going to be nettle cordial using this recipe & nettle cocktail but it all suddenly got very busy with 3 fully booked weeks back to back. 385 covers in the next 9 days!

Seems like there's a lot of different versions of peshwari naan. This was mine - basic naan bread recipe with sugar, chopped pistachio, flaked almonds and sultanas.

Found this great method for making the tear drop shapes.... needs working on ;)

Peshwari naan on the griddle

Indian theme menu nights are one of my favourite - it's the flavours. The hens at this hen party said it was the best Indian meal they had ever had - makes such a difference when you make everything from scratch including the naan.

The dark bits = flavour - it's an essential part of the taste!

Homemade chapatti. We served these with yogurt dip & hoummous along with the starter. You really need high heat for these to work & puff up in the middle. Again the dark bits = flavour.

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Curry night! Chicken passanda & lamb madras with soda naan bread, bhajis, kachumber & pilaf rice

Chicken passanda - based on this recipe, but loads of other things from the spice shelf added as well to taste.  

Madras powder for making lamb madras using this recipe souped up at the end with a bit of this, bit of that.
Toasting whole spices, then grinding them  - it 's the secret to  real flavour. The curry powder you buy ready made is so dull in comparison. You roll the raw diced meat in this powder then leave it to marinade overnight in the fridge. 

Cucumber, tomato and pomegranate kachumber - a recipe from  Ms Marmitelover's  Eat Pray Love press night which I helped out with last year

Soda naan bread (using this recipe) - with one guest having an onion and yeast allergy it meant everything being made in 2 batches - apart from the naan bread which we made all soda. Actually first time I'd made naan bread - something you keep putting off, but then realise how easy it is, and how many million times better it tastes than a brought version. 

Looking back now it all looks a similar colour - but this is without the lamb madras, slightly darker. This is everything they had asked for - but colourwise it's something worth thinking about for next time......

Pilaff rice from the rice cooker (essential piece of kitchen equipment)

Onion bhaji - a combination of this recipe and this one.

Bombay aloo - using this recipe with a few added extras including tomato coulis

Sweetcorn pakora - adapting this recipe

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