How to Make Naan (Indian Flatbread)

I love Indian food. The aromas, the flavors, the textures, the colors – I love it all. And whether I’m munching on crunchy onion bhaji or savoring saag paneer, I’m always enjoying it with a piece of warm, fluffy naan.

To this day, there are few things that make me as happy as a simple piece of this Indian flatbread dipped in raita.

Happily, The Prince has shared my love of Indian food since he was a little boy. We will set up a feast of Chicken Tikka Masala, samosas, naan and raita in front of a Marvel or Harry Potter movie that we’ve already seen 100 times. Those are the best nights.

What’s the difference between naan and pita?

Naan, a staple of Indian cuisine, is a simple flatbread that usually consists of flour, water, yeast and salt. Most naan recipes are made with either egg, milk or yogurt, and sometimes a combination. This makes naan soft, pliable and flavorful.

It’s different from pita bread in this way, as pita bread does not usually contain any milk or yogurt. Pita is a drier, less fluffy type of flatbread that often has a pocket for stuffing.

Naan is traditionally served alongside a main dish to help sop up the sauce. But my favorite thing to dip naan in is raita.

How do you make homemade naan?

Making this Indian flatbread isn’t hard, but it does require you to stick to the steps that I’ve outlined below and try not to deviate. Just follow the steps and you’ll be good:

• Combine your ingredients.
• Knead the dough.
• Let the dough rise in a warm oven.
• Form the dough into smaller balls and let them rise again.

Once your naan is ready to cook, it’s a quick process. The Prince usually helps me because two hands are better than one. But once you get your rhythm going, you can easily do it by yourself:

• Heat a cast iron pan.
• Roll out each piece of naan, brush one side with butter, and put it butter-down onto a cast iron pan.
• Quickly butter the top and cover it for a minute.
• Check to see if it’s bubbling, then uncover and flip it for another minute.

That’s literally all it takes, probably 2-3 minutes total per piece. If your pan is big enough to fit two pieces at once, the process will go faster. That’s when either an extra person or some really good rhythm comes into play.

I was super overwhelmed at first, but once I got the hang of it it was easy. And it will be easy for you too because I’ve done all the messing up for you.

You’re going to have so much fun making this homemade naan. Let me know how it goes! Leave a comment or drop a rating below.

For more bread recipes, try these:

• Buttery Parker House Rolls
• Pocketless Pita Bread
• Honey Cornbread

For more Indian recipes, try these:

• Coconut Cauliflower Curry
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Tandoori-Spiced Chicken Thighs

How to Make Naan (Indian Flatbread)

Traditional yeasted Indian bread made without yogurt that comes out warm, fluffy and pliable

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

inactive 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 50 mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Servings 14

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 packet active dry yeast not instant
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water between 110-115 degrees
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 stick unsalted butter melted

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes until bubbly. Stir in the sugar, milk, egg, salt and 3 cups flour. Add remaining 1 cup of flour onto a countertop and knead the dough 6-8 minutes, letting it absorb some of the additional flour, until smooth.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees, and then turn the oven off. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel, and place into the warm oven for 30 minutes until doubled in size.
• Remove the bowl from the oven. Punch the dough down, remove it from the bowl and knead in the garlic. Form the dough into balls the size of golf balls and place them on a tray. Cover the tray with a dish towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Roll out the dough and brush with melted butter. Place the buttered side down, quickly brush the top with butter and cover for 1-2 minutes, until the top is bubbling. Flip the dough over and let cook 1 more minute. Remove naan onto a plate and keep covered until ready to serve.

Keyword appetizers, vegetarian

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