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Naan Bread
Naan is an Indian recipe; it’s a type of flat bread.
Traditionally they are baked inside a very hot clay tandoor oven, with charcoal or wood fire.
The naan bread are stuck to the inside of the oven just like the picture below.
The tandoor oven retains very high heat, up to 900°F and hence fills the inside of the flat bread with air pockets and bakes them to perfection.
In a modern day kitchen, we do not have a tandoor oven, but you can make naan at home with a hot cast-iron skillet on the stove stop, or bake in the oven.
My naan recipe is made on a stove top, using a very hot cast-iron skillet.
The naan turn out extremely delicious, soft, puffy, airy, with the beautiful golden brown spots on the surface.
They taste just like the best Indian buffet restaurants!
Frequently Asked Questions about Naan:
Is Naan Bread Healthy?
Yes, it is super healthy. My recipe is quick and easy, fail-proof and cooked on a skillet. You do not need a tandoor oven!
Does It Have Eggs?
There is no eggs in the recipe. Vegan can’t eat them as this recipe calls for yogurt, which is not vegan-friendly.
The Origin of Naan
It originated from Iranian. However, different countries have its own version of the bread.
It’s a staple in Iran, many middle eastern countries, the Indian subcontinent countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc.
The Difference between Naan and Roti
They are both flat breads but different because of the ingredients used. Roti, for example, chapati is made with whole wheat flour and there is no yeast.
Naan is made with all purpose flour and you will need yeast to make the dough.
Tips on How to Make Naan
- First, you want to make the dough by combining the yeast and flour together. Knead the dough with hand or using a stand mixer and then rest to double the dough in size.
- Divide the dough into 8 balls. Heat up a cast-iron skillet on high heat to make naan.
- The high heat makes the dough rises and fills the middle part of the bread with an air pocket. It’s done when burnt brown “blisters” or spots appear, just like my pictures.
- Brush the fresh-off-the-skillet naan with some melted salted butter and top them with cilantro leaves.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 295 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with Naan?
They are great with Indian curries with sauce, for example: chicken tikka masala or butter chicken.
For a wholesome Indian dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
How to Make Naan Bread?
Please refer to the recipe card below for detailed step-by-step method on how to make naan at home.
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Naan Bread (The Best Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/4 oz. (10g) active dry yeast ((2 1/4 teaspoons) )
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- some oil (for greasing the skillet)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the sugar, warm water, and yeast together. Stir to combine well. The yeast should be activated when it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a flat surface and make a well in the middle.
- Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, salt and oil, knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place (for example: beside the stove top or warm oven). The dough should double in size, about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to a 8” (230g) circle using a rolling spin.
- Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the dough on the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat the same until all dough are done.
- Brush the naan with the melted butter, serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Which oil is best for this? Will be using vegetable instead of the everyday olive as I don’t want to impart the flavour. Thanks!
That’s fine.
I was excited to see the low sodium (46mg per piece) on the nutrition information. This is probably correct for the yogurt and butter but not with the addition of salt. 1/2 t of salt is 1150 mg divided by 8 is 143.75 per piece. Can someone double check this? For someone who can only have 1500mg per day, that’s a huge difference.
Thank you!
Then don’t use the butter.
I know how to modify a recipe for my low sodium needs. My concern is that the nutrition information is possibly incorrect. I was asking for someone to check and to possibly change the nutritional information listed. But thank you for your concern.
This recipe was fantastic. I halved everything because I’m only cooking for two people and used sour cream instead of yogurt. It turned out super yummy. While it cooked, I threw some garlic and butter in a little pan to slather on before eating. Will definitely be making this again.
Yummy!
My dough did not rise after an hour and I was using it for dinner so I went ahead with cooking it. Turned out great even without the rise!
Thanks.
I did it! And it was awesome!
Thanks, Rick.
It’s amazing how popular Indian food has become. Enjoy! Please note, Naan bread originates from India not Iran or Afghanistan. If you look at maps of Ancient India, Indians lived in areas today called Iran, Afghanistan, Burma, Nepal Pakistan, but were pushed out by ethnic minorities. These countries didn’t exist before.
Indian food can be found in UK, Canada, US, Fiji, West Indies, Africa, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, the latter three countries courtesy of Tamil Indians.
Can I freeze the unused portions?
I cooked all the dough and froze the uneated cooked naan. It still tastes great once you reheat it.
My friend told me to sprinkle water on the griddle before placing the naan. I’m not sure what the mechanics are of this but it definitely improved the result.
Good tip!
This was great! First time making naan and was surprised at how well it turned out. Soft but with that bit of chewiness.
Delicious, easy recipe. I needed to add a bit more liquid, but that’s often the case when flour is measured by cups rather than weight. If your dough is too tough to kneed or feels dry, just add a bit more of the liquid ingredients. I’ve made this using the exact ingredients, and when I was out of yogurt using a substitute (milk+vinegar+sour cream) and both tasted the same. This is now our family favorite recipe. Fresh naan makes a huge difference in the meal.
Awesome!
Very good recipe! Was a little more labor intensive than expected since this was my first bread making experience. I wasn’t even sure if kneaded it correctly or long enough, but it still turned out great! Was well worth the effort!
Awesome!
Do you use dry measuring cups for the wet ingredients? My dough turned out super wet. If there is a recipe with ingredients measured in weight that would be excellent!
As I said in the recipe card, if it’s wet, add a few tablespoons flour.
Can I make this in the bread machine on the “dough” cycle? I don’t trust my own kneading
You can try!
This recipe was so easy to follow and turned out soo good. This was also my first time making naan and it was a success! Thankyou for this recipe!
Awesome!
Can the naan be frozen?
Yes, after cooking.