On weekends I do my shopping at a co-op with a huge selection of food and groceries, but if I need to fill in the gaps during the week I pop into our neighborhood grocery store. While the options aren't as plentiful, our local store has quite a few draws, like the packaged naan that tastes almost as good as homemade. These naan wraps are a mid-week family favorite. They're filled to the brim with cumin-spiced lamb, shredded iceberg lettuce, and a quick homemade cucumber raita.
My favorite thing about the recipe (aside from eating it!) is that the other components of the naan wraps can be prepared as the ground meat browns, so the meal can be on the table in about 20 minutes. I like to cook the lamb (or beef or pork or chicken!) until it's crispy and the onions are richly browned. The result is an irresistible combination of texture, sweetness, spice and salt balanced out by refreshing iceberg lettuce and cooling raita.
Naan Wraps with Homemade Cucumber Raita
Serves 4
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1 pound ground beef or lamb
4 pieces naan bread
1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup diced, seeded cucumber (about 1/2 cucumber)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint or cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200 F.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the yellow onion, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the beef or lamb and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Break the meat up into smaller pieces and saute until cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the naan and make the raita.
Stack the naan in a pile and completely wrap in aluminum foil. Heat in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes. Place the yogurt, cucumber, mint or cilantro, coriander, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine; set aside.
When the meat is ready, remove from the heat. Place the warmed naan in a single layer on a work surface. Place a handful of iceberg lettuce on the center of each naan. Divide the meat over the lettuce, top each with a couple tablespoons of raita, and divide the red onion over the raita. Serve warm.
Recipe note: The leftover meat mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
This article is written by Sarah E. Crowder from The Kitchn and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
