Naan

Whisk the instant yeast and sugar into the warm milk and let it sit a minute. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt, then make a well and add the yeast-milk, the yogurt, and the oil. Mix with a spoon, then your hand, until no dry flour remains and a rough, sticky mass comes together. The yogurt's acidity and the milk sugars are what give naan its tang and its quick-browning crust, so don't substitute them away lightly.

Knead on a lightly oiled surface for 8 to 10 minutes (or 5 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook) until the dough turns smooth, supple, and elastic. Resist adding much flour — keep your hands and the bench lightly oiled instead, so the dough stays soft. You are building just enough gluten for the bread to puff and tear into chew without going tough.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave somewhere warm to rise until roughly doubled — about 1 to 2 hours depending on your kitchen. A full, slow rise deepens flavour, so don't rush it with too much heat. When risen, gently deflate, divide into 6 to 8 equal pieces, round each into a ball, and rest them covered for another 15 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough rolls out without fighting back.

Set a heavy cast-iron skillet or tawa over high heat for a full 5 minutes until it is smoking-hot — this is your stand-in for the tandoor. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch each ball into a teardrop or oval about 5 to 6 inches long and a generous 3 to 4 millimetres thick, leaving it slightly thicker than a tortilla. Don't roll it paper-thin; naan needs body to puff. Brush the top lightly with water just before it hits the pan — the moisture helps it grip and steam.

Lay the naan wet-side-down onto the dry, smoking pan. Within a minute it will balloon up with steam and the underside will char in dark spots — cover with a lid for 30 seconds to trap heat and encourage the puff. When the top is bubbling and the bottom is blistered black-and-gold, flip and cook the second side 30 to 60 seconds until spotted too. For an even more tandoor-like char, hold the puffed naan with tongs directly over an open gas flame for a few seconds. Keep finished breads wrapped in a towel to stay soft.

Warm the ghee or melted butter with the minced garlic just until fragrant — don't brown the garlic. The moment each naan comes off the heat, brush it generously with the garlic-ghee so it soaks into the hot, open crumb, then scatter with chopped coriander. Serve immediately, stacked and wrapped in a clean towel to hold their softness and steam.