how do i do "navaja bread"

[Gazpacho]

hello
i am a 23 year old guy from germany. i've been to the US a couple of years ago and ate some specialty called "navajo bread" which obviously is some native americans food. maybe some of you already heard of that and i found some recipes via using google but i'm still not satisfied with the results. In Arizona it was used to be served with vegetables like beans, corn, lettuce and so on. unfortunately i'm not able to find such any more.

would be grateful if you can help me...

regards

Thorsten

[shipscook]

Hi and welcome,
I did a search and found this wonderful site--
Navajo Fry Bread History and Recipe, Indian Tacos History and Recipe,
I actually grew up in Navajo country and sort of remember the bread at fairs, etc. At that time I didn't think about it being a baking powder or yeast recipe?
Where were you? that might help us narrow it down?
The one in that site is baking powder.
I am in Alaska now and the Indians here do a fry bread with yeast or sourdough.
I love Indian tacos!!!
Nan

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Me too, Nan. I love my former breakfast cook- Paula's- fry-bread. She was a Tlinket from Hoonah and her's was outstanding!

Welcome Thorston!

[Gazpacho]

hey i've been to the grand canyon, to more more accurate, canyon de chelly, chinle. maye u'be heard of this tiny town or whatever that it^^

regards

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Wow- you've seen more than I have here, Thorston! I am 42 years old- but have not ever seen the Grand Canyon. I hope to one day, though.

I live in a small farming area 3 hours south of Chicago. And I lived for 13 years in Alaska- where we saw MANY German tourists!

Our great group here has Americans from many regions, ranging from New York to Mississippi and many places inbetween like Illinois, Kentucky and Georgia...

[Gazpacho]

well i've never been to alaska althou this is a fabulous state!
1995 and 2005 i had US trips. so i twice saw the grand canyon (2005 i went down to phantom ranch), las vegas, new york, new orleans, washington, the bryce canyon, petrified forrest, monument valley and other country stuff like yellowstone park and so on.. i love the western states like arizona...
and so i encountered this navajo fry bread

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hi Gazpacho and welcome to SpicePlace!!! Sounds like that Navajo fry bread left quite a lasting impression on you!!! I hope when you make it that it will turn out perfect for you and taste just as good as the first you ever had over here in America! You sure are a world traveler I must say, geepers You Have seem some of the best of America!!! I hope you will come back some day soon and see more of our lovely country!

I have cousins that are German and live in Germany, I wish I could visit them and see Germany but it looks as though that will not happen any time soon. Their last name is Schnell, and the Dad is a brain surgeon. When John visited us from Germany he left such a great impression on my children, he even gave them a little steam engine toy made in Germany that operates with Sterno and they cherish that little toy! It was so well made!

Keep coming back to Spice Place and enjoying our little on-line community!

Cathy

[Gazpacho]

hey, thanks for your nice words

i think when traveling through america (in particular the usa) it is important to see many places which distinguish in themselves (i hope u know what i wanna say, sry for bad english).... That shall mean, the modern west and east coast like los angeles and new york etc.,as well as the rural, country regions which definitely are really great. love cody, the badlands, these canyons, the really high temperatures (in arizona :P) and the whole atmosphere. (hey, i forgot to say, that i could barely find dr. pepper and root beer in large cities but in small western areas (like kingman and flagstaff).
ok i think we got into off topic ^^

[The Ironic Chef]

Looks as if this fry bread is just a biscuit dough flattened like a tortilla and fried in oil or shortening. I would think that when the Navajo originally made it with such short rations, maybe they just fermented the dough or made a starter, then made a dough with the fermented dough or starter and just added more flour and a bit of salt, maybe even corn meal, kneaded the heck out of it then shaped and fried. I can't see with such limited resources, the original fry bread having leavening agents like baking powder or soda. I'm also thinking that even sugar was a rare commodity.

I spent 4 years in Germany Gazpacho. I would say the names of the many towns and cities I have been to but spelling them is another story. If you have a good Wiener Schnitzel recipe, the breaded pork or veal cutlet? I would greatly appreciate a posting of it if you have one.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

You are so right Gizpacho about the diversity of our seperate coasts, I agree with you though that you really must see both and everything in between! I loved Flagstaff, AZ and Tempe, AZ but the two although in the same state are about as different as day and night!
And of-course our state parks are each so unique! That is funny about the Rootbeer and Dr. Pepper! I like small towns best! A really neat small town here in the state of Georgia is called Helen, it is a touristy little Alpine Village setting and unique. My family used to vacation up there long before it bacame a tourist trap!

We get "off-topic" here all the time it is fine, we are not "fuddy-duddy" sticklers for what is supposedly "Proper"! It is fun to hear your opinions on the places you visited! Where you thought the Badlands were neat, I thought they truly were awful and I despised Mount Rushmore, and South Dakota! I did not like the country side at all, and yet I had a sister who lived in South Dakota many year and loved it, I thought it was so barren and just a gosh-awful landscape. I appreciate GREEN countryside and am not into anything devoid of grass and lush tropical greenery!!! I even love rain on a warm summer day! That was one thing I missed the most out in California!