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Naan - easy naan bread recipe using a cast-iron skillet. Soft, puffy, with beautiful brown blisters just like Indian restaurants. This is the best recipe you'll find online!
Table of Contents
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!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Cheesy Garlic Naan
Chapati
Mango Chutney
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.
Naan is made with all purpose flour and you will need yeast to make the dough.
Tips on How to Make Naan
First, you want to make the dough by combining the yeast and flour together. Knead the dough with hand or using a stand mixer and then rest to double the dough in size.
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.
Naan - easy naan bread recipe using a cast-iron skillet. Soft, puffy with brown blisters just like Indian restaurants. This is the best recipe online!
4.55 from 1552 votes
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By Bee Yinn Low
Yield 8pieces
Prep 1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Cook 10 minutesmins
Total 1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Ingredients
1teaspoonsugar
1/2cupwarm water
1/4oz. (10g)active dry yeast((2 1/4 teaspoons) )
2 1/4cupsall-purpose flour
1/2cupplain yogurt
1/2teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonoil
some oil(for greasing the skillet)
3tablespoonsmelted 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, 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, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to a 8” (230g) circle using a rolling spin.
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 dough are done.
Brush the naan with the melted butter, serve warm.
Notes
Watch the cooking video on this page for step-by-step guide.
If the dough is sticky, add extra 2 more tablespoons of flour to bind the dough.
Course: Indian Recipes
Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: from scratch, Naan, naan bread, vegetarian
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Naan Bread (The Best Recipe)
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 295Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 12mg4%
Sodium 46mg2%
Carbohydrates 48g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 8g16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
A traditional flatbread from Afghanistan is called naan-e roghani. The extra oil added to the dough gives the roghani a softer and pillow-like texture despite being very similar to conventional Naan. Oil, flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk, sesame seeds, and nigella seeds are used in its preparation.
Which is healthier: bread or naan? Naan is a flatbread, whereas bread comes in loaves. Naan is higher in fat, protein, and carbohydrates than loaf bread. The higher protein content of naan will allow you to feel fuller for longer and curve cravings.
Afghan naan is different in shape, texture, and taste from Indian varieties. While the main ingredient – wheat flour – is the same, Afghan bakers hand-shape the dough, rather than rolling it out, and their use of a tandoor results in large, pillowy rounds.
Saturated fat constitutes about a quarter of the total amount of fat in naan. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that saturated fat calories account for less than 10% of your total daily calorie intake ( 6 ). As such, you should avoid filling up on naan if you're watching your saturated fat intake.
It wasn't a bad taste, but it was noticeable. I also found the baking soda doughs burned more easily. The baking powder-yeast dough compared to the yeast-only dough were nearly identical — similar air bubbles in the pan, similar dough texture, similar flavor — so, in the end, I stuck with yeast alone as a leaven.
And like those fluffy spuds, this soft flatbread has little nutritional value. Most naan recipes call for Greek yogurt to give it that airy texture. But that's more than offset by less healthy ingredients like white flour, sugar, and oil.
Roti is generally considered healthier than naan. Roti is lower in calories and contains zero saturated and trans fats and cholesterol. In contrast, naan tends to be higher in calories and may contain added fats. For a healthier choice, roti is often preferred, especially by those conscious of their dietary intake.
Paratha, while definitely bread, is not baked the way that naan is. Rather, it's fried in a tawa, a stone frying pan, using butter or cooking oil. While naan is generally rolled out once and slapped up against the side of the tandoor, paratha often gets rolled out multiple times, creating a very flaky bread.
Nutrition: Pita bread is lower in calories and fat. Naan is higher in fat and calories due to the addition of yogurt, milk, and ghee but also provides more protein and fiber.
Assemble the naan by spreading two tablespoons of hummus over a piece of naan. Top with a couple large dollops of the tzatziki, followed by two fried eggs. Drizzle the hot sauce over the top then garnish with green onions and a sprinkle of the Everything Bagel seasoning. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
In the modern days, yeast & other leavening agents have replaced the bread starter. So most restaurants either use yeast or another leavening agent like baking powder & baking soda. If you order naan in Indian restaurants you may not find the texture & flavor to be the same in every place.
Roti and naan are two classic flatbreads in Indian cuisine, but they're often lumped together for their similar appearance. This similarity is a misconception: these bread dishes vary in ingredients and recipes and can radically change your meal.
Parathas are a flaky, buttery, and layered style of flatbread that can be served alongside curries, rolled up and dipped into hot chai, or made into a meal by themselves with a side of raita for dunking.
Among the varieties of filled naan are: keema naan, which contains spiced lamb; Peshawari naan, which is sweet, being filled with combinations of coconut, raisins, sultanas, and nuts; Kashmiri naan, which uses candied cherries, golden raisins, almonds, cumin, and fenugreek; aloo naan, which contains spiced mashed ...
Naan. Naan is probably the most famous of Indian bread. This fluffy, leavened Indian flatbread is best served hot, and even though it is ideal for sopping up the gravy in curry dishes, it also the perfect accompaniment for other popular dishes like tandoori chicken.
Naan is a leavened bread (meaning it uses yeast), while roti is an unleavened bread (meaning it doesn't). The different ingredients give a far different texture: naan is soft and chewy, while roti is dense and thin.
Butter Naan is one of the most loved naans in India. You could judge this from the fact that this naan is usually the only one served in most of the weddings. The use of butter over this naan makes it soft and easy to chew.
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