Homeade Naan, Dandelion Orange & Fennel Salad, and Mince Curry and Peas

Of course I lack a Tandoor oven, so we simply rolled the dough out round and flat , heated a frying pan with a slight amount of vegetable oil, and fried them.

This recipe for Garlic Naan was easy and quite like the real thing. Truth be told, the Naan was an afterthought. I've returned to King Adz Urban Cookbook time and time again, for its cross cultural city-food roots to my own tastes. The "Mince Curry and Peas" recipe was no exception. I hesitated at "4 tsps ground cumin," etc. The recipe called for 9 total tsp.'s of spice! Though I could have gone all the way with it and still been in the realm of reason. More about depth and aromatic qualities, this dish was by no means hot.

Most important, was the Naan bread. It otherwise would have been like eating Sloppy Joes without buns.

Oh, and a note on time. Our meal started with a trip to the grocery store (on foot, this is Brooklyn, you know), and the actual cooking time for the Mince and Naan was something like four hours. The salad kept hunger at bay, with Dandelion's hardy nutrient rich leafy greens and a nice small glass of biodynamic red wine (Chateau la Baume Costieres de Nimes) surprisingly filling.

We were only grumpy once, and at the start of the night at that (the prospect of carrying groceries on our backs yet again on a chilly spring night for two tired people was enough to put anyone in a bad mood). Back at home with chocolate chip cookies making their way out of the oven

we were perfectly content to watch episodes of Lost between trips to the stove to stir the Mince, and several longer interludes while punching down the dough, mixing in the garlic, and creating mini rolls as part of Naan prep.

In the end, it was a perfect meal for a long Saturday night.

And even better as leftovers for breakfast!