Kashmiri Recipes

RECIPE  NO. 14

'Girda'

(E-Flat leavened bread baked in a 'Tandur' or on a Griddle)
(H-'Nan')

After properly kneading with water keep the 'Maida' dough in a covered pot for 12 to 24 hours, according to room temperature, for fermentation. In hot weather fermentation takes place in shorter time, than when it is cold.

To the sifted 'Ata' add the 'Ghi', Sugar and Salt. Rub in the 'Ghi' etc. with hand evenly. Now add this to the fermented 'Maida' dough and knead the whole, adding as much water as required to make it into an elastic mass, which does not stick to fingers, or the basin in which it is kneaded, and it is fit for rolling into rounds of 'Nans'. Now, add Soda-bi-Carb to this dough and knead again. This will make the dough to rise and become spongy. Make about 30 balls out of this dough. On a bread board spread, by hand, each ball into a 'Nan' shaped bread i.e., a flat round or an oval shaped bread, with a thicker rim, and of about 4" to 6" in diameter. Smear, and rub over a little Curd on the surface inside the rim, and sprinkle evenly a pinch of Poppy Seeds on it. Press, with four finger tips, this centre surface to make four or five rows of small depressions. Bake in an oven or a 'Tandur'. In case no oven or 'Tandur' is available, bake on an ordinary Griddle ('Tava') on medium heat, covering the 'Nan' with a domed lid of a pan etc. so that it rises and gets partially baked in a couple of minutes. Now, to make the surface brown, bake the upper surface of this partly-baked 'Nan', on a gas flame or on a Charcoal fire or an electric heater, by placing it, face downwards, on a 'wire-baker', commonly used for toasting slices of bread.

Ordinarily 'Nans' are made of fermented dough of 'Maida' (Fine white wheat flour, from which all bran has been removed). A little Curd and Soda-bi-Carb are added while kneading the dough. Most of these are sprinkled with Nigella Seeds (H-'Kalaunji').These 'Nans' baked in a 'Tandur' are not soft and tasty like those made as per above Recipe.