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4 Secrets to Authentic Indian Cooking
Tips, tricks, and recipes for perfect Indian dishes
FREE EMAIL BONUS:
4 Secrets to Authentic Indian Cooking
Tips, tricks, and recipes for perfect Indian dishes
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.
Tips on How to Make Naan
- 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 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.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please share your photo in the Comments section and consider giving it a 5-star rating. I can’t wait to see your creations! Want more easy and delicious recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
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, and 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 in about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to an 8” (230g) circle using a rolling pin.
- 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 the dough is done.
- Brush with melted butter, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- If the dough is sticky, add 2 more tablespoons of flour to bind the dough.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth and elastic, or use a stand mixer to speed up the process.
- Use a very hot skillet to cook the flatbread. It’s done when burnt brown “blisters” or spots appear.
- Watch the cooking video on this page for a step-by-step guide.
Hi, Could I keep part the dough in the fridge (wrapped up ofcourse) so I can bake them off FRESH again tomorrow?
I think you can keep the dough in the fridge but I haven’t tried.
Assuming by “instant” you mean the small grain yeast, yes that will work just fine.
The recipe calls for active dry yeast.
Hi I was just getting ready to make this and wanted to make sure, do you use regular yeast or the instant yeast?Thanks!
Active dry yeast, per the recipe card.
Can I make this with whole wheat flour, instead of all purpose flour?
You can try I think should be OK but I don’t know for sure since I didn’t try.
Hello. The other day when I ordered Indian food I had stuffed onion nan bread and it was so amazing. How can I stuff the onion in this nan bread?
Hi Rikke, I think you can add onion into the dough before rolling it out.
Hello, I’m sorry but I find these measures a bit confusing: “2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour”. Does this mean 2 cups + 1/4 of a cup (and not between 1/4 and 2/4 of a cup)? tnx!
Yes 2 1/4 cups.
Hi there, I made the naan this evening. It was great. First time I’ve ever made naan … or, any sort of Indian dish outside of daal quite frankly. That said, COVID-19 lock down in San Francisco has give me a good excuse to try some new recipes. The recipe was easy to follow, the video was very helpful. My naan tasted fantastic. Way better than any to-go naan. When I put the naan on the skillet to heat, I crushed and added a sprinkle of good finishing flake salt. Allowed it to infuse with the dough as the other side was browning on the skillet. I then flipped it to cook the side I just salted and brushed really good butter on the just cooked side. Wow, it was phenomenal. The other thing I experimented with is how thin to roll the dough vs. how long to keep it on the skillet. I made one naan rolled pretty thin that got cooked/browned spots that turned out almost cracker like but thicker on the edges. Others I made thicker and cooked less that turned out to be more like the spongy stuff I get for take-out (but way better). Thanks for the recipe. It was so easy I think that even if I order out in the future (i.e., after restaurants re-open), I will still skip ordering the naan and make it at home. Now I just have to check your site and see if you have a killer roti prata recipe.
Hi Chris, thanks for trying my recipe. You can find roti canai or roti prata recipe here: https://rasamalaysia.com/roti-canai-roti-paratha-recipe/
Same!! Quarantine has helped me cook more out of the box. Super excited to try out this recipe. Best one I’ve seen yet!!
Hi Autumn, yes this is the best naan recipe. Please try!
Can you use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Yes you can use sour cream, its how slavic Roma people make their naan and it tastes so freaking amazing.
Must the naan be served immediately, and if not, how long can it stand?
You want to serve warm because it’s best when warm. You can serve at room temperature and keep in the refrigerator. Heat up before serving.
I’m excited to try this! Can I kneed it in a mixer or does it need to be my hand? Thanks.
You can use a mixer.
Can I make and freeze them? If yes, should I freeze it before or after it’s cooked?
Freeze after cooking.
Hi, just noticed no salt in the ingredients? thanks.