Aloo Matar and Garlic Naan

Don't you think quality kitchen time is the perfect antidote to cabin fever! I certainly do. 😉

If you're bored at home and starting to get restless like us, you might enjoy rolling out dough too! Especially if you have kids who are used to running around in school and are still adjusting to being home-bound all the time! This might be fun for them.

My little apprentice certainly appreciated being able to use up all that extra energy when he made Garlic Naan! 🥰 It doesn't hurt that it made the house smell so lovely too.

It's so difficult to find vegan naan at stores (as they usually contain dairy), and entirely impossible to find them vegan and oil-free! I'm so glad that I now have an eager volunteer as designated in-house garlic naan maker! 😍

If like me, you prefer your naan thicker, bready and chewy, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. If like my son and husband, you prefer thinner crispy naan, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.

Naan is great with some homemade hummus as a light snack. Sometimes, I even use them as a lazy thin pizza crust.

For today, we made some mouth-watering Aloo Matar which deliciously paired with our naan. My Aloo Matar is loosely based on a recipe by Vegan Richa, that I tweaked into a lazy, hearty, and oil-free version. Enjoy with some steamed brown rice!

Aloo Matar and Garlic Naan

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 90 mins

---

INGREDIENTS:

Garlic Naan:

• 3 cups flour ( i used whole wheat + bread flour)

• 2 tsp garlic pwder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 3/4 cup very warm water

• 1/4 cup aquafaba

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Aloo Matar:

• 5 potatoes, chopped (peeling is optional)

• 1 cup frozen green peas

• 1 cup lentil (I used green and red)

• 2-in ginger knobs, peeled and roughly chopped (I prefer them in big chunks so I can fish them out easily)

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped

• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp pink salt

• 1 3/4 cups water

• garnish with chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Garlic Naan:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix applesauce and 1/2 cup water; then microwave x 1 min.

2. Add yeast to warm applesauce mixture, stir then set aside.

3. In a different microwave-safe bowl, combine minced garlic, aquafaba and 1/4 cup water; microwave x 1 minute then set aside.

4. After letting both mixtures sit for at least 10 minutes, combine them in the stand mixer bowl.

5. Slowly add in the flour, salt, and garlic powder into the stand mixer bowl with the hook attachment.

6. Work the dough until it forms into a ball.

7. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough sit x 1 hr. (Tip: This is the perfect time to get started with the Aloo Matar)

8. Form dough into a log or any regular shape, and divide into 8 equal pieces (for thick, chewy naan) or 16 pieces (for thin, crispy naan).

9. Roll out each piece on a generously floured surface to flatten the dough.

10. Cook on a hot nonstick flat pan, and flip over when you see bubbles. Enjoy!

Aloo Matar:

1. Dry saute onion and ginger, cook x 3 mins.

2. Add garlic, cumin, turmeric, garam masala and salt; stir frequently to avoid burning spices.

3. Add in lentils, potatoes, crushed tomatoes and water.

4. Bring to boil, cover the lid and reduce to simmer x 30mins.

5. Add in frozen peas and cilantro.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve warm with rice and naan!