Naan Recipe - Popular North Indian leavened bread made from all purpose flour. This naan is SOFT and FLUFFY, so good.
Traditionally made in ‘Tandoor or clay oven' but at home we will be making it in the oven and/or on the stove top.
In terms of texture, naan made in the oven is very similar and close to made in tandoor or you can say same as you get in restaurants. It is slightly crispy from the outside and so soft and fluffy from the inside. It will not get chewy at all after it cools down. You know that restaurant one becomes chewy as it cools. But this one won’t.
naan made on stove top
Check out other Indian bread recipes
Soft phulka // Tawa paratha // Puri recipe // Bhatura recipe
How to make naan recipe (Step by Step Photos):
If using Active dry yeast : In a bowl take ¾ cup of warm water. Dissolve yeast and sugar in it. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes or till yeast activates and becomes frothy.
If using Instant dry yeast : Skip the above step and add dry yeast directly in the flour. Just like I did here.
1) Take flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and instant dry yeast in a bowl. Mix well.
2) Add oil and mix it with your fingertips.
3) add yogurt.
4) again mix with your fingertips.
5) now start kneading the dough by adding warm water (or frothy yeast mixture in case of active dry yeast).
6) make smooth and soft dough. Apply some oil to the dough and also the sides of the bowl. So the dough doesn’t dry out and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover it with kitchen cloth or plastic wrap. Let it rise in warm place for about 3-4 hours or till it gets double or triple in size.
7) After 4 hours, it should look like this. Mine is almost triple in size.
8) Punch it down with your hand.
9) Give it a single knead to make it smooth.
10) Divide into 10 equal portions and make smooth balls.
11) If making in the oven then preheat the oven to the maximum temperature of your oven for about 20 minutes (Mine is 450 degree F). Also put your cast iron pan or pizza stone in the oven on top rack and let it get preheat as well.
If making on stove top then put the tawa or pan on medium high heat and let it get nice and hot.
12) now roll it using rolling pin and board into oval shape of about 5-6 inch size. Roll couple of naans and arrange them on a plate and keep them covered.
13) brush the top part with some water.
Making the in the oven:
14) Once oven is pre-heated and also with in the 20 minutes the cast iron pan or pizza stone is nice and hot. Carefully place the naan (water side down) on the pan. Because the pan is already hot, you will see nice bubbles right away. Close the oven door and turn on the oven broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes.
15) After 3 minutes, Look at them. They are partially puffed and browned so well.
16) Remove it to a plate using tongue.
17) Apply some butter on top and serve.
18) After making 2-3 batches, Pan or stone gets cool down a bit. So let it heat again at maximum temperature for 5-10 minutes. Once it gets hot and start making rest of them.
Making on the Stove top:
19) Once the pan or tawa is hot. Place the naan (water side down). As we are cooking on medium high heat, you will get bubbles right away.
20) cook for a minute, you will see it is partially puffed up.
21) flip it and COVER the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on other side.
22) This is how the bottom side look like. Again if it starts to burn quickly, adjust the heat. After making 2-3 , wait for few minutes to get the tawa nice and hot again. Repeat the same for rest of them.
the one made on stove top is also soft but you will miss that crispy texture on top. Same as other one, this also won’t get chewy after it cools down.
Made on stove top
There are many variations like butter naan, garlic naan, kashmiri naan. All has their own taste and will be sharing them here in near future.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with Restaurant style curries:
Palak Paneer // Shahi Paneer // Dum aloo // Khoya kaju // Paneer tikka masala // Methi malai Paneer // Kaju curry // Paneer butter masala // Paneer bhurji gravy // Vegetable makhani
Or it can be served with dal fry or dal makhani.
Notes:
- Whenever you work with yeast, always use warm water. Hot water will kill them and cold water will not activate them.
- Please use Cast iron pan or skillet or pizza stone. I will say again and again till you say ‘Ok Kanan I get it’. Yes this will make the best naan. As you know that cast iron gets heat up so well which gives the Tandoor effect.
- If your yeast mixture does not get frothy or the dough is not rising. It means that your yeast is dead or expired.
- It is very important to preheat the pan or stone for 20 minutes which gives you the tandoor effect.
- If you do not have cast iron pan or pizza stone, you can use regular baking pan. But you won’t get that much heat from the bottom. Still you can make the naan but the texture will be different than what you see in the photo.
- If making on stove top then I strongly recommend to use the cast iron skillet which makes the big difference vs regular non stick or other skillet.
Naan Recipe (on stove top and oven)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All purpose flour (maida)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Instant dry yeast or Active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 3 tablespoons Plain yogurt
- ¾ cup Warm water
- Butter melted, to apply/brush on cooked naan
Instructions
Making the dough:
- If using Active dry yeast : In a bowl take ¾ cup of warm water. Dissolve yeast and sugar in it. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes or till yeast activates and becomes frothy.
- If using Instant dry yeast : Skip above step.
- Take flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and instant dry yeast in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add oil and mix it with your fingertips.
- add yogurt, again mix.
- now start kneading the dough by adding warm water (or frothy yeast mixture in case of active dry yeast).
- make smooth and soft dough.
- Apply some oil to the dough and also the sides of the bowl. Cover it with kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
- Let it rise in warm place for about 3-4 hours or till it gets double or triple in size.
- Punch it down with your hand. Give it a single knead to make it smooth.
- Divide into 8 equal portions and make smooth balls.
Making Naan recipe in the Oven:
- preheat the oven to the maximum temperature of your oven for about 20 minutes (Mine is 450 degree F). Also put your cast iron pan or pizza stone in the oven on top rack and let it get preheat as well.
- now roll it using rolling pin and board into oval shape of about 5-6 inch size.
- Roll couple of naans and arrange them on a plate and keep them covered.
- brush the top part with some water.
- Once oven is pre-heated. Carefully place it (water side down) on the pan.
- Because the pan is already hot, you will see nice bubbles right away.
- Close the oven door and turn on the oven broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, Look at them. They are partially puffed and browned so well. Remove it to a plate using tongue.
- Apply some butter on top and serve.
- After making 2-3 batches, Pan or stone gets cool down a bit. So let it heat again at maximum temperature for 5-10 minutes.
- Once it gets hot and start making rest of them.
Making Naan recipe on the Stove top:
- Put the tawa or pan on medium high heat and let it get nice and hot.
- Once the pan or tawa is hot. Place the it (water side down). As we are cooking on medium high heat, you will get bubbles right away.
- cook for a minute, you will see it is partially puffed up.
- flip it and cover the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on other side.
- If it starts to burn quickly, adjust the heat. After making 2-3, wait for few minutes to get the tawa nice and hot again.
- Repeat the same for rest of the naan
What is oven broiler?
if using convection oven then use the top rod only
hi is it possible to make it without sugar?
yeast gets activated because of sugar. It helps to rise the dough.
You can try skipping the sugar, but the dough may not rise properly.
This is the best naan recipe I have tried! Can you make the naan and then save for later in the week? Is it better to freeze and then reheat on the tava or store in the fridge?
I have never tried freezing the naan. But you can try freezing this naan and see if it works or not.
btw happy to know that you liked the naan,
Just now, I was made this...too tasty..Thanks for sharing....
Glad to know that.
Thank you for the feedback