flat breads

prawn and potato salad

Chef’s tip: if you have run out of bread, and need some in a hurry, try this. It can be ready in half an hour from start to finish. Or make a batch and freeze it for next time you have curry.

You will need:

Method

Put the flour in a mixing bowl, making a well in the middle.

Pour the oil into the well.

Heat some water to blood heat, add to the flour and mix. Add enough to make a soft, sticky dough. This is a dough you are not going to knead. Not at any stage. Ever.

When it is mixed, put the bowl inside a plastic carrier bag, cover with a thick cloth and set in a warm place.

15-20 minutes is enough.

 Look at the dough which should have risen alarmingly.

Put the cast iron pan or griddle on the heat and let it heat up.

Put a lot of flour onto the worktop and scrape the dough on top of it, adding more flour over the top. Lift and roll the dough into a sausage shape. Do not knead.

Cut the sausage into two.

Take one half and reshape into a longer sausage.

Cut this into four pieces.

Using the thick end of the palm of your hand, press the first piece of dough into a flat, oblong shape. Use a floury part of the worktop to do this. When it is squashed flat, lift it and pat it between your two palms to remove as much flour as you can. Lay it on a baking tray or board where it can rise a little. Do the other three pieces from this batch, then repeat with the other half of the dough.

When the pan is so hot that it burns your hand to hold it above the surface, place the first two (if the pan is big enough, otherwise do one at a time) breads in. They will start to puff up with the heat. When the underside has browned, turn them over and press them down with a spatula (or your hand). They only take a few minutes to cook each side.

Place the breads inside a folded thick towel as they come out of the pan. This keeps them soft.

Wipe the pan out with a dry cloth and do the other two from the first batch.

When it comes to the remaining four, now try adding a little oil, swilling it over the surface. You will notice a difference immediately in the way the breads cook. They swell up much quicker and have more bubbles on the surface. This is because the heat is increased by the oil. They are also much softer when done.

 You will find the two cooking methods produce quite different textures and flavours. The ones cooked without oil have a more authentic ‘burnt’ flavour, reminiscent of the ones my friends Fasal and Sayeed cook in their chimney pot tandoor on the allotment.  

Chef’s note: This is basically the same as the Naan recipe in the Accompaniments section in the book,1eaving out the seeds. The shaping and cooking are different though.

Chef’s tip: A variation on prawn salad which makes a complete meal

Preparation

If the prawns are frozen let them thaw out in their own time.

Boil some new potatoes.

Cook some green peas.

Chop some onions.

Have ready some fresh button mushrooms and mayonnaise.

Method

Drain the potatoes and let them dry off in the colander.

Cut them up while still hot/warm.

Put them in a mixing bowl with the prawns, onions, peas and button mushrooms.

Add salt and pepper and mix in the mayonnaise.

There are several ways to vary the mayonnaise:

You can add cream to it,

You can add crushed garlic to it.

You can add lemon juice to it.

You can add a dash of chili sauce to it.

When you have finished turning the ingredients in the mayonnaise, let stand for a few minutes. Because the potatoes are warm, they will cause all the different ingredients to infuse their flavours.

Serve with lettuce, crusty bread and a slab of cheese.

Chef’s note: absolutely fantastic meal.