If you’re unfamiliar with naan, it is basically an Indian-style flatbread. It is soft, pillowy, full of bubbles and so extremely versatile. This recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Let’s find out how to make naan in this article of Apronese!
What is the Difference Between Naan and Pita Bread?
These breads are in the flatbread family, but they hail from different regions of the world. Their dough comprises different ingredients, and they are cooked using different methods.
Naan is a traditional flatbread made in South and Central Asian countries, while pita bread is eaten in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Pita is made with a very simple dough, using flour, salt, yeast, and olive oil. It is cooked in an extremely hot oven, which causes the characteristic hot air pocket to form in the center of the dough.
Naan dough has ingredients like yogurt and egg that make it a little more tender and fluffy. It is cooked on a griddle with less heat, which causes multiple smaller bubbles rather than one large air pocket.
What to Serve with Naan Bread?
You can serve naan with pretty much anything. You can eat naan alongside a meal to sop up gravies or dip into sauces; use it to make flatbread sandwiches; top it with tomato sauce and cheese for a naan pizza; or use it in place of tortillas for quesadillas.
Here are some of the best ways to serve with naan:
- Dip it in homemade hummus.
- Use it to soak up curries, like this creamy coconut curried lentils.
- Use it as a base for mini pizzas.
- Serve as a side with curried ground beef with peas and potatoes.
- Or wrap it around meat and vegetables for a wrap sandwich, like the homemade chicken shawarma wraps.
How to Store The Leftovers?
After cooking the naan, make sure to let it cool completely to prevent condensation. Once cooled, keep your naan in a gallon-sized zip-top bag.
The naan will last 1-2 days at room temperature, or about 4-5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze naan for longer storage.
To freeze naan, first let it cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag, label and date it, then toss it in the freezer.
Try to use up your frozen naan within a few months. Frozen naan bread thaws quickly at room temperature.
How to Make Garlic Naan?
It’s really easy to transform the classic naan recipe into a garlic naan. Just add about 1/2 tsp of garlic powder in with the flour and salt, and then after cooking the naan, brush it with some fresh garlic butter.
To make the garlic butter, mince a couple cloves of garlic and then stir them into a few tablespoons of melted butter.
How to Make Naan?
Homemade naan is easier to make than you think. It’s great for sandwiches, pizza, dipping into soups and sauces, and more.
Author: Adapted from The Novice Chef
Prep Time: 1 hr 30 mins / Cook Time: 25 mins / Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 tsp dry active yeast ($0.19)
- 1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup warm water ($0.00)
- 2 1/2-3 cups flour, divided ($0.39)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.64)
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt ($0.17)
- 1 large egg ($0.27)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water. Stir to dissolve, then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. Once frothy, whisk in the oil, yogurt, and egg until evenly combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding flour, a half cup at a time, until you can no longer stir it with a spoon (about 1 to 1.5 cups later).
- At that point, turn the ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. You’ll end up using between 2.5 to 3 cups flour total. The dough should be smooth and very soft, but not sticky. Avoid adding excessive amounts of flour as you knead, as this can make the dough too dry and stiff.
- Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 1 hour). After it rises, gently flatten the dough into a disc and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball.
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the bottom is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface (see photos below). Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Stack the cooked flat bread on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm as you cook the remaining pieces. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!
Tips: For the most bubbles, don’t roll out the ball of dough until just before it is ready to be placed in the skillet. A medium heat produces the most bubbles in the dough and does not burn the surface.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 250.81 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 37.23 g ・ Protein: 6.36 g ・ Fat: 8.18 g ・ Sodium: 161.29 mg ・ Fiber: 1.54 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Equipments
Our equipment section contains affiliate links to products we use and love. As an Amazon Associate, I can earn commissions on qualifying purchases.
How to Make Naan – Step-by-step Photos
Step 1: Dissolve 2 tsp yeast and 1 tsp sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, or until it becomes frothy.
Meanwhile, measure out 1/3 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek style), 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 large egg.
Step 2: Once the yeast mixture is frothy, whisk the yogurt, oil, and egg into the yeast water until smooth.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix only 1 cup of the flour with 1/2 tsp salt until they’re evenly mixed.
Step 4: Pour the bowl of wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir well.
Step 5: Continue adding flour, a half cup at a time, until it forms a cohesive ball of dough that you can no longer stir with a spoon.
Step 6: Turn the ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 minutes.
Add small amounts of flour as needed (to keep the dough from sticking) until you have a smooth, very soft ball of dough.
Avoid adding too much flour as you knead since this can make the dough stiff and dry, and prevent the classic bubbles.
Step 7: Shape the dough into a ball, loosely cover and let rise until it is double in size.
Step 8: After it has risen, flatten it out slightly and cut into 8 equal size pieces.
Step 9: Shape each piece into a small, smooth ball.
Step 10: Heat a skillet over medium flame. While waiting for the skillet to get hot, roll out a ball of dough until it is 1/4 inch thick or about 6 inches in diameter.
Step 11: Place the rolled out dough in the hot skillet and cook on one side until large bubbles form and the side touching the skillet is golden brown.
The bubbles will start small, like in the photo above, but eventually grow and merge together to form larger bubbles.
Step 12: Flip the dough over and cook on the second side until golden brown as well.
Step 13: As the naan comes out of the skillet, stack them on a plate and cover with a clean towel to keep warm.
Step 14: Brush the naan with melted butter, garlic butter, or traditional ghee.
And enjoy!
It’ll take some time to finish, but you’ll be satisfied with the result. Now, let’s take out the ingredients and equipments to make your homemade naan. Follow Apronese for more updates!
