If you haven’t tried Naan before, you are missing out on something real good. Naan is a type of Indian leavened bread made from flour that is typically in a teardrop shape and traditionally cooked in a clay oven. And yes people, its called “Naan”, not “Naan bread”!

Naan goes with almost any kinds of food. It is soft yet sturdy and can be used as a flatbread or as a pizza dough replacement. It is even flexible enough to be used as a wrap or tortilla. You can use it as chips (when fried) and dip it in hummus or any other types of dips. Most of all, this is a staple with any Indian food.

Today, I want to show you how you can use naan to make Indian style enchiladas. I call them “Naanchiladas”. This is easily something you can make if you have some left over Indian curry from a previous meal and turn it into a whole new meal. My full recipe for the Chicken Tikka Masala that I used in this recipe will be coming soon. This is a perfect for a cold snowy day when something hot and delicious like these Naanchiladas can warm you up.

You can use either homemade or store bought naan. Trader Joes has a good variety of Indian breads and my favorite is their Garlic Naan. For this recipe, I actually used a different type of bread called “Paratha” because I ran out of Naan at home. It worked okay but this recipe is best a softer bread like Naan, Chapati or Roti.

Start off with putting together the ingredients that is going to go into your Naan as the filling. I used some green peas, chopped sweet onions and red peppers and threw them in a wok and fried them with some Turmeric buffalo Ghee from Trader Joes. If you want to make a vegetarian version of this, you can also use cauliflower, eggplant, carrots and paneer (Indian cubed cottage cheese).

I then put in my left over Chicken Tikka Masala leaving some of the curry alone on the side so I can use it as my topping sauce. Finally, add some basmati rice and cook for 2 minutes until all the curry has been absorbed by the rice.

Next, heat up the Naan. I would not recommend to pan fry them if you are using store bought naan because it can become hard and crunchy. Instead, pop it in the microwave for a minute or so until soft.

Lay out the naan on a plate and fill the center with the chicken and rice filling. Layer the base of the naan with some pre made cilantro/mint chutney if you have some. Add some cheddar cheese or any cheese of your choice. Do not over stuff because you want to make sure you can roll the naan over into a wrap. Then place the rolled naan into a rectangular casserole dish.

Remember the little curry I said to keep on the side? Well now is the time to use it. Whisk that up with some heavy cream over a low flame and pour it over the Naanchiladas. Top with some more cheese and then pop it in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Once all the cheese has melted, take it out of the oven and garnish with cilantro or spring onions. If you like a kick of spice in your food, you can also add some fresh jalapeños or green chili. Just make sure you remove the seeds because if you are eating them fresh, it will be really really spicy and that is going to kill your taste buds. Don’t do that, this is so yummy, you are going to want to savor every bite.

Naanchiladas – Indian Style Enchiladas

Serves: 2-3 people

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup red peppers (chopped into cubes)
• 3/4 cup white onions (chopped into cubes)
• 1/2 cup white basmati rice (cooked)
• 1 1/2 cup of leftover chicken curry (any type)
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
• 5-6 naan or chapati
• 2 tablespoons mint/cilantro chutney
• Ghee or coconut oil for frying
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Cilantro for garnish
• Salt and peper to taste

Directions

1. Fry onions, red peppers and boiled green peas in a wok with some ghee or coconut oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper for taste. Fry for 4-5 minutes or until soft.
2. Next add the leftover chicken curry, leaving 1/4 cup of just the curry on the side. This will be used as the sauce on the top of the naanchiladas.
3. Then, add the rice and fry for another 1-2 minutes or until all the curry is evenly distributed with the rice. Take of the stove and set aside.
4. Heat up the naan in the microwave for 1 minutes or until soft and defrosted. Spread some cilantro or mint chutney on the naan. Then add a spoon full of the rice and chicken mixture. Make sure not to over stuff the naan.
5. Add some cheese and roll the naan over so it is closed on one side atleast. Place the naan with the open side down into a rectangular casserole dish and repeat until the casserole is filled.
6. In a separate pot, heat up the curry that was put to the side and add the heavy cream. Cook on low heat for a minute or so. Then take of the stove and pour over the naanchiladas. Top with some more cheese. The cheesier, the better!
7. Bake in the oven at 450 degree (f) for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the curry and cheese is bubbly.
8. Garnish with cilantro and/or green onions. Add fresh jalapeño or green chilis for some spice.
9. Enjoy with a glass of cold mango lassi. Recipe for lassi coming soon! Namaste!!!