Close your eyes and imagine a flaky yet crispy flatbread topped with cilantro leaves and heaps of homemade butter. Sounds yummy, right? Yes, we are talking about Paneer Chur Chur Naan today.
These vegetarian flatbread stuffed with a spicy paneer filling is extremely easy to make and very versatile. You can eat these naans just as they are or pair them with Dum aloo for a complete restaurant-style dinning!
Before I begin, let me ask you this – are you a fan of stuffed naan? If yes, then this recipe has your name written all over it! So simple, healthy, and yet so delicious!
You could have these flat breads either for brunch, as an evening snack, or for dinner – just as I did.
Today, I have cooked some Instant Pot dum aloo and thought these Paneer Chur Chur naan would be a perfect match.
Ingredients2 cups Whole Wheat flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 tablespoon Sugar
1½ teaspoons Salt
¼ cup Yogurt
½ cup Milk
1 tablespoon Ghee
1 cup Paneer grated
1 medium Potato boiled, peeled, and mashed
¼ cup Onion finely chopped
2 small Green chili chopped
1 tablespoon Cilantro leaves chopped
¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
½ teaspoon Coriander powder
½ teaspoon Amchur Powder (Mango Powder)
½ teaspoon Cumin powder
½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
¾ teaspoon Salt adjust according to taste
Cilantro leaves
Ghee to brush each naan
Method* Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
* Add yogurt and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.
* Pour in milk and knead until the dough starts to come together. Do not add all the milk at once.
* Add ghee and knead again until the mixture forms a soft, pliable dough.
* Cover the kneaded dough with a damp towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free environment.
* Combine paneer and mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add onions, red chili powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, and salt.
* Stir in chopped cilantro leaves and mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Set aside.
* After the resting time is over, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. Transform the dough onto a clean, flour-dusted surface. Knead and roll until smooth.
* Roll it like a log. Divide the log into 6 equal pieces for large Chur Chur naan.
* Roll each piece into a ball.
* Cover the dough balls with a damp cloth and let it rest for another 20 minutes.
* After the rest time, roll the dough ball into a big round using a rolling pin. Roll the dough as thin as possible. Brush the rolled dough surface with ghee.
* Starting from one end, begin folding the rolled out dough.
* Continue folding the dough like an accordion style until you have reached the end.
* Take the pleated dough and stretch it a little. Now, starting from one end, begin rolling the dough into a pinwheel.
* Continue until you have reached the end. Press and secure the ends.
* Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls. To prevent drying, keep the rolled-out dough balls covered with a damp cloth all the time.
* Take a dough ball, and flatten it using your hands. Place 2 tablespoons of paneer-potato filling in the center of the dough circle.
* Bring all the sides together and seal the circle with the filling.
* Dust the surface with some flour. Now, using your hands, spread the dough into a 4-5? round.
* Spread some chopped cilantro leaves on top. While you are spreading the dough with your fingers, press the leaves onto the dough.
* Heat a heavy-based pan on medium heat. Apply some water to the other side of the paneer naan and place the naan onto the heated tawa (water side down). Press the naan onto the tawa so that it sticks to the tawa.
* Cook the naan until the little bubbles start to appear on the surface of the naan.
* Flip the tawa over direct flame. Lower the flame to medium-low and then cook the paneer naan over the direct flame, without burning.
* Cook the naan until evenly brown from all sides.
* Once down, gently squeeze the paneer naan to give it that chur chur texture. Apply ghee over the Paneer chur chur naan and serve hot.
* Cook the remaining naan in the same manner and keep the cooked chur chur naan covered at all times as you cook the rest. Serve warm with your favorite curry or raita.