Fluffy, soft, and flavorsome, taftoon is a staple bread from Persian and Pakistani cuisine that’s devoured as a side with delicious curries, stews, and soups. 

What is Taftoon?

Taftoon, also called taftan in Pakistan, and nan-e-taftoon in Iran, is a leavened flatbread traditionally cooked in a tandoor (a clay oven) all over Iran and Pakistan. It’s prepared with wheat flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and saffron. Some modern taftoon recipes include eggs, butter, milk, dry milk powder, and yogurt as additional ingredients. Taftoon bread is flavored with saffron or cardamom powder. It is shaped into a chapati-like circle or oval having around 2 mm thickness and sprinkled with poppy or nigella seeds right before baking. 

What does Taftoon Taste Like?

Taftoon is fluffy, flaky, and slightly chewy, similar to naan or sheermal but comparatively lighter in texture. It’s balanced in flavor, offering a hint of milkiness coupled with a mild tang. The addition of saffron not only adds flavor but an appealing golden hue to it.

Image Credit: Flickr user Meine WanderlustCC BY-ND 2.0 )

How is Taftoon Made?

The dough for taftoon is prepared by mixing and kneading whole wheat flour with yeast, sugar, salt, water, and butter. The dough is then left in a warm place to rise for around an hour. The dough is then divided into several orange size balls that are shaped either round or elongated, and pricked with fingers all over its surface, smeared with saffron-infused butter, sprinkled with nigella seeds, and baked in a tandoor, oven, or skillet until fluffy, and golden. 

What to Eat with Taftoon?

In Pakistan, taftan is traditionally eaten as a side with curries, and other saucy, stew-style dishes like Korma, Lamb Curry, butter chicken, and palak paneer. However, in the Middle East, it’s paired with kebabs, koftas, feta cheese, tomatoes, olives, and bell peppers. Moreover, our Greek Egg Bites, Baharat Lamb, and Chicken with Pomegranate Molasses are some great Middle eastern recipes for pairing flatbreads like taftoon. 

Taftoon can be stuffed with steak along with other assortments as in our recipes for steak shawarma, and Beef and Bean Burritos. Last but not the least, you can eat freshly baked taftoon as a snack on its own or simply pair it with a cup of tea for a quick breakfast.

Feature Image: Flickr user www.theedinburghblog.co.uk ( CC BY 2.0 )

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kat
kat
1 year ago

recipe?