Garlic Naan (Indian Bread)
Perfect Homemade Garlic Naan! This restaurant style easy garlic naan recipe is a must-try recipe! No need for a tandoor (clay oven)—you can make this soft, fluffy, and flavorful naan right in your kitchen. Infused with just the right amount of garlic, it pairs perfectly with your favorite curries and gravies. This is the most ordered Indian bread in North Indian restaurants.
I tried making this garlic naan for the first time and it turned out perfectly. Thanks so much 😊❤️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Shalini
About This Recipe
Restaurant style garlic naan that you can enjoy in the comfort of your home for a fraction of the price. They really are easier to make than you’d think.
- Easy to Make: Minimal active time required! Knead the dough using a stand mixer (or by hand), let it proof, roll it out, and cook on a tawa. That’s it!
- Basic Ingredients: Made with pantry staples, so you don’t need to hunt for anything special.
- Perfect Garlic Flavor: Double the garlic, double the goodness! Chopped garlic goes into the dough, and garlicky ghee is brushed on top—perfectly balanced for just the right flavor.
My Recipe
This garlic naan recipe, which I first shared in 2017, has evolved over time to become even more flavorful and convenient. Back then, I used to knead the dough by hand, and it worked perfectly, yielding soft, fluffy naans every time. However, over the years, I’ve made a few tweaks to enhance the flavor and texture.
One of the most significant changes is using my KitchenAid stand mixer for kneading the dough. This not only saves time but ensures a perfectly smooth and consistent dough every time, even when making larger batches.he mixer has made the process easier and more efficient.
Traditionally, naan is cooked in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven where rolled naan is slapped against the hot walls to cook quickly. However, at home, we don’t have a tandoor, but that doesn’t mean we can’t replicate that perfect naan texture! You can achieve the same result by cooking garlic naan on a cast iron skillet or by baking it on a pizza stone in the oven.
But here’s the beauty of this recipe: You don’t need to complicate things. By cooking the naan on a cast iron skillet over the stovetop, you’ll get soft, fluffy, and perfectly charred garlic naan—no special equipment required. Give it a try, and you’ll be hooked!
Ingredient Notes
Step By Step Photos (With Tips)
Making Garlic Naan Dough:
- Warm the Milk: Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it’s warm to the touch (not hot or cold). This is important because if the milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast, and if it’s too cold, the yeast won’t activate properly.
- Activate the Yeast: Add the warm milk to the stand mixer bowl, then stir in the sugar and yeast. Give it a gentle stir and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The yeast should become frothy and bubbly, indicating it’s active.
- Add Remaining Wet Ingredients: Once the yeast is ready, add the room-temperature yogurt, water, oil, and freshly minced garlic to the bowl.
- Stir to mix everything.
Yeast Tip: If the yeast doesn’t bloom (meaning it doesn’t become frothy), it could be because the yeast has expired or the milk temperature was either too hot or too cold. In this case, it’s best to start over with a fresh pack of yeast. Without proper blooming, the dough will not rise, resulting in dense naan.
– Make sure to check the yeast’s expiration date and always use warm milk (not too hot or cold) for the best results.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Into the bowl, add the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix briefly to combine.
- Knead the Dough: Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer.
- And run it on low-medium speed until the mixture comes together and forms a smooth, elastic dough. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Proof the Dough: Lightly oil the surface of the dough and the inside of the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
How to Promote Dough Rising:
– To ensure your dough rises properly, keep it in a warm place.
– If you’re cooking on a stovetop and have a microwave above it, place the dough inside the microwave (without turning it on), as it will naturally be slightly warmer.
– Alternatively, you can place the dough in an oven with just the light on or inside a warm kitchen cabinet.
– The gentle warmth helps activate the yeast and encourages the dough to rise beautifully.
Making Garlic Infused Ghee:
- Heat the ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once the ghee is hot add minced garlic.
- Stir and cook for 30 seconds only or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.Turn off the stove.
- Remove this to a small bowl and keep it aside to brush on cooked naan.
Rolling & Cooking Garlic Naan:
- Punch Down & Divide: After the dough has proofed and doubled in size, punch it down gently.
- Divide it into 6 equal portions and shape each portion into a smooth round ball.
- Preheat the Skillet: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Let it get hot until it just starts to smoke.
- Roll the Dough: Roll each dough ball into a 6-7 inch oval shape using a rolling pin. If needed, lightly dust the dough with flour while rolling.
- Cook the First Side: Once the skillet is hot, place the rolled naan onto the skillet. It should start to bubble up within a few seconds. Let it cook for about 1 minute until bubbles form on the top.
- Flip and Cook the Second Side: Flip the naan using a spatula and cook the other side for about 45 seconds.
- Gently pressing with the spatula to ensure even cooking.
- Check for Char: The bottom should have a nice golden-brown color with some charred spots. Remove the naan from the skillet and place it on a plate.
– Use a Cast Iron Skillet:
Cast iron is ideal for creating the crispy, charred effect on naan because it retains heat well. Ensure your cast iron skillet is preheated on medium-high heat before placing the naan on it.
– Preheat the Skillet Well:
The key to getting that perfect char is ensuring the skillet is very hot before placing the naan on it. You should see slight smoke rising from the skillet when it’s ready. A high temperature helps the naan cook quickly, creating those characteristic air pockets and dark char spots.
- Garlic Ghee Drizzle: Drizzle the garlic-infused ghee generously over the naan.
- Spread Evenly: Use a brush to spread the garlic ghee evenly across the naan.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve the naan hot.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
- Room Temperature: Garlic naan stays fresh for 1-2 days when stored in an airtight container. Depending on your climate, the texture may slightly toughen the next day. To restore softness, warm it up in the oven (avoid the microwave as it can make it chewy).
- Freezer Storage: Garlic naan can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Place the naan on a large cookie tray and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the naan to a freezer-safe ziplock bag for long-term storage.
- Reheating: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and warm the naan for 2-3 minutes. You can also use an air fryer to reheat.
- Freezing Garlic Naan Dough: After proofing and punching down the dough, wrap each ball individually in plastic wrap and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer. This way, you can defrost only the number of naan dough balls you need for later.
What To Serve With Garlic Naan?
- Garlic naan is best served with a side of curries (like palak paneer, paneer butter masala, saag paneer, shahi paneer, malai kofta) or lentils (like dal makhani or dal tadka).
- Leftover garlic naan can turn into a pizza (I bake it until super crisp, that’s the best crust).
- You can use naan (slightly thinly rolled & cooked) to make a wrap. Stuff them with paneer tikka or aloo tikka with a drizzle of mint chutney and onion salad.
- Cut the leftover naan into bite-size pieces, brush or spray with oil and bake until crisp. Use these naan chips as a dipper for your dips like jalapeno popper dip, everything bagel dip.
Check Out Other Indian Bread Recipes
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below. If you’re sharing it on your Instagram then don’t forget to tag me @spice.up.the.curry
Garlic Naan Recipe (Indian Bread)
US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Milk, (Warm)
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- (½ packet) or 1 ¼ teaspoons Active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup Water
- ⅓ cup Plain yogurt, at room temprature
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 ¼ cups All purpose flour (Maida)
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons Garlic, finely chopped or minced
Topping:
- ¼ cup Ghee (clarified butter)
- 2-3 tablespoons Garlic, chopped finely
- 2-3 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves, chopped finely
Instructions
Making Dough:
- Warm the Milk: Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it’s warm to the touch (not hot or cold). This is important because if the milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast, and if it's too cold, the yeast won’t activate properly.
- Activate the Yeast: Add the warm milk to the stand mixer bowl, then stir in the sugar and yeast. Give it a gentle stir and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The yeast should become frothy and bubbly, indicating it's active.
- Once the yeast is ready, add the room-temperature yogurt, water, oil, and freshly minced garlic to the bowl. Stir to combine everything.
- Into the bowl, add the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix briefly to combine.
- Knead the Dough: Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and run it on low-medium speed until the mixture comes together and forms a smooth, elastic dough. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Proof the Dough: Lightly oil the surface of the dough and the inside of the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Making Garlic-Infused Ghee:
- Heat the ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once the ghee is hot add minced garlic. Stir and cook for 30 seconds only and turn off the stove.
- Remove this to a small bowl and keep it aside to brush on cooked naan.
Rolling & Cooking Garlic Naan:
- After the dough proofing, it rises more than double. Punch it down and divide it into 6 equal portions and make smooth round balls.
- Before you start rolling, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Let it get hot until it just starts to smoke.
- Start rolling it using a rolling pin. Roll into a 6-7 inches long oval shape. If needed you can dust the flour lightly.
- Now the skillet is hot (just starting to smoke). Now place the rolled naan and within a few seconds, it starts to bubble up. Cook the first side for around a minute and then flip using a spatula.
- Cook another side by pressing lightly using a spatula for around 45 seconds. Look the bottom part is also cooked and charred. Remove it from the pan and place it on a plate.
- Drizzle some garlic ghee all over the naan. Using the brush spread the ghee and garlic evenly. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
- Highly recommend using a cast iron skillet to cook garlic naan on the stovetop. The heat conduction of the cast iron skillet helps to make large bubbles that result in a soft and fluffy texture with a few charred and crisp spots.
- Milk has to be lukewarm so yeast can bloom nicely. If the milk is cold from the refrigerator or hot then it can kill the yeast.
- If the yeast doesn’t bloom meaning the yeast has expired or the milk temperature was not right. In that case, start over with a new pack of yeast. If the yeast hasn’t bloomed to a frothy texture then the dough will not rise.
- Yogurt has to be at room temperature (not directly from the fridge) otherwise dough won’t rise properly.
- How to promote the dough rising? Keep the bowl of dough in a warm place. If you are cooking on a stovetop and you have a microwave on top then keep it in the microwave as it will be slightly warmer. Or keep it in the oven or in the cabinet.
- For storage and serving details, please check the post above.
It’s the best naan bread recipe I’ve ever tried. I’m from Poland and me and my fiance are totally in love with Indian cuisine. Many thanks to you for this amazing recipe <3
Glad to hear that you liked this naan recipe.