Homemade Naan
At my dad’s birthday last year, we made an entire menu of Indian curries – his favourite. But when I volunteered to make the naan, my mom insisted on ordering some to pick up from a local restaurant. It’s ok, I told her – I can make pretty good naan from scratch! But she insisted, and someone wound up stuck in traffic driving to and from the restaurant, and we wound up with cold, no longer fresh from the oven naan with which to scoop up our curries.
A few months later she was over when I had a stack of naan on the kitchen counter. She tore into a piece and asked where I got it. “You made this?!” she asked, incredulous. We really could have had some of yours!
Of course there’s no beating a batch of naan that has just been cooked in a tandoor oven, which is tall and cylindrical and reaches temperatures of about 800F, much like a pizza oven. But you can make a decent batch of naan in a cast iron skillet, which withstands high temperatures and distributes it evenly. You could even bring a batch of dough and a skillet camping, and cook it directly over the campfire for a little added smokiness. I’ll never get tired of the way the dough bubbles dramatically in the hot skillet.
When people talk about prairie ingredients, wheat isn’t always the first to come to mind—but it’s a significant agricultural crop, and a staple in our kitchen. I love driving through the prairies past fields of wheat and canola. And so when Alberta Wheat’s Life’s Simple Ingredient asked me to share a recipe that highlights the wheat we grow right here, I was thrilled to.
There are flatbread and pizza crusts around the world and I’m a fan of all of them, but there’s something about buttery, chewy naan that’s universally loved. The oil (or use ghee!) and yogurt gives it that soft, creamy texture and slight tang, and the wheat flour gives it its famous texture and chew. It’s a simple enough dough to make; soft and yeast-risen, slightly tacky, which makes it easy to work with. Let it rest, then pull off chunks and roll the pieces as thin as you can on an unfloured surface (the counter needs to be tacky enough to grip slightly, like a post-it note) before cooking in a blazing hot skillet, flipping with tongs. Or you can cook it directly on your grill, giving it charred edges and a smoky flavour. In fact, warm grilled naan makes the perfect vehicle for roasted chicken, beef or lamb kebabs, grilled cheese and veggies with tzatziki, and is the best thing on a platter of hummus and olives, or with cheese or charcuterie, or just about anything.
To make garlic naan, crush a clove of garlic and swirl it around in your cooking oil or warmed butter or ghee to infuse it before you cook your naan. If you’ve never cooked with ghee, it’s clarified butter that has had any milk solids removed, meaning it won’t burn – it behaves like oil when you cook with it, but tastes like butter. Truly it’s the best thing ever. (You can buy it, or make your own: melt butter until it separates, spooning off the foam that rises to the top. (Eat it, or cook some eggs, or make popcorn.) Slowly pour off the clear butter, leaving the nutty milk solids in the bottom. Again, swipe that stuff up with some bread or something.)
Once you’ve got ghee – and homemade naan – in your repertoire, you’ll find all kinds of uses for it.
Thanks to Life’s Simple Ingredient for supporting this site by sponsoring this post, and helping me spread the word about one of Alberta’s most significant crops!
Homemade Naan
AuthorJulieIn a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. (If it doesn't foam, the yeast is inactive; toss it out!) Stir in the flour, salt, oil, yogurt and egg and stir until the dough comes together, then knead until you have a soft, pliable dough. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for an hour or two. (If you want to make it in advance, cover and store in the fridge to slow down the rise.)
Pinch off pieces the size of an egg or two (depending how big you want your naan), and roll into a thin circle or oval — don’t flour the surface, it needs to be tacky enough to grip slightly, like a post-it note. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle generously with oil and a pat of butter, or add a spoonful of ghee and rotate the pan to coat the bottom as it melts.
Peel each piece of dough off the countertop and lay it in the hot skillet. Cook until it grows dramatic bubbles on one side, then flip and cook until golden on the other. Stack on a plate as they cook, and bring them to the table warm. Makes about 8 naan.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. (If it doesn't foam, the yeast is inactive; toss it out!) Stir in the flour, salt, oil, yogurt and egg and stir until the dough comes together, then knead until you have a soft, pliable dough. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for an hour or two. (If you want to make it in advance, cover and store in the fridge to slow down the rise.)
Pinch off pieces the size of an egg or two (depending how big you want your naan), and roll into a thin circle or oval — don’t flour the surface, it needs to be tacky enough to grip slightly, like a post-it note. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle generously with oil and a pat of butter, or add a spoonful of ghee and rotate the pan to coat the bottom as it melts.
Peel each piece of dough off the countertop and lay it in the hot skillet. Cook until it grows dramatic bubbles on one side, then flip and cook until golden on the other. Stack on a plate as they cook, and bring them to the table warm. Makes about 8 naan.
Yum! No other words needed!
You are the best…..I too ( like your Mom) order in….but I will try this….I love nan.
yum julie!
Well…now I know what’s going on my camping list.
How to tweak to make this whole wheat??
Definitely looking forward to trying this recipe with my next batch of Butter Chicken. But …. that rolling pin in your photos – stunning!!! Would love to know where you found it. Thanks.
Oh dear. I was so busy looking at that wonderful naan that l hadn’t noticed the rolling pin. Of course l had to go back and look. Wish l hadn’t now. Its gorgeous!
Your recipe has been my go to naan recipe for a few years now. My hubby is Indian & he’s used to roti but even he likes this naan.
Easy and delicious. We use the homemade naan in place of pitas for souvlaki.
So glad that you posted this. We had the worst naan in the world a couple of nights ago so if we can make it ourselves – yay!!
That rolling pin! Tell me about that rolling pin!
Isn’t it awesome?? It’s made out of recycled skateboards! By a couple brothers with a company called Adrian Martinus.
This naan is the best I’ve tasted! I recommend doubling the recipe – everyone will want more.
Yay! so glad to hear it!
Its taste is so good. My family love it, specially my daughter.
This naan is the best I’ve tasted!
Yay! so glad to hear it!
I recommend doubling the recipe – everyone will want more.
Easy and delicious. We use the homemade naan in place of pitas
Definitely looking forward to trying this recipe with my next batch of Butter Chicken. But …. that rolling pin in your photos – stunning!!! Would love to know where you found it. Thanks.
love it
best site ever
i thinks it so Amazing
i found it so amazing love it try that
Oh dear. I was so busy looking at that wonderful naan that l hadn’t noticed the rolling pin. Of course l had to go back and look. Wish l hadn’t now. Its gorgeous!
Can you please clarify how thin l should roll the naan? Thank you.
Naan shops are closed nowadays, but I’m gonna make them at home using this recipe. Thanks a lot.
These are still THE best!! I have not found a better recipe for Naan…
Yay!!
Wowww, I haven’t found the better naan recipe then this.
Amazing!
Yay!!
Needed something to go with my home made butter chicken and my sister sent me this recipe. Sooooo glad I decided to make it – totally last minute too because the butter chicken was already done and ready to be eaten. The rising time almost prevented me from making it, and I didn’t have plain yogurt on hand. But as I stared at my butter chicken, it felt like it deserved better than just rice…
So I quickly gathered all ingredients, subbing buttermilk for the yogurt (which worked beautifully) and quickly proofed it in my oven. Waited patiently for an hour and then eagerly made the first naan ….. oh wow …. to see the bubbles made me excited and once they were done – how chewy and soft and oh so glorious they were!!!!
Thank you for the fabulous recipe – it’s a keeper!
Oh yay, I’m so glad to hear it!! I love it.. been making it for decades!
Hi,
If I want to make it ahead of time do I put it in the fridge right after kneading it or do I allow it to rise a bit before putting it in the fridge? Do I let it rise once it comes out of the fridge before using it?
Thanks!
I’ve made this recipe 3-4 times now and have been able to successfully make it the day before: after kneading, I place it in bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge until I’m going to use it. It will rise and expand. I have also done it where after I knead it, I’ve left it out to rise and then placed it in the fridge. For both methods, when I’m ready to use it, I just take it out and let it sit in the counter as I prepare the pan, oil, rolling pin, etc. If I have leftover, I’ll place back into the fridge and use it up by the next day. 🙂 works great!
Awesome, thank you!
We had this with supper last night. I made my usual veggie curry, and got the dough going in the bread machine on ‘dough’ setting because I’m laz… erm, efficient! (To do this : just put all your liquids in the bread pan- yogurt, water, oil and egg- add the salt and sugar. Put the flour on top, yeast at the top of the flour, set for ‘dough’). Hubby rolled them out and fried them, and he’s not an experienced cook. Julie, your instructions, and the conversational post preceding, were perfect. Thank you for yet another ‘keeper’ (and for encouraging another cook to expand his repertoire)!
Holy smokes, this is the best naan I’ve ever made. It has the light yet crisp yet chewy texture and yeasty, slightly tangy flavour that good restaurant naan has, which I’ve never before been able to replicate at home. Can’t wait to make this again!
Oh yay, I’m so glad!
definitely i will try it at my home and will share the experience. i had a question. If I don’t want to add yeast, what should be the alternative?
You could use about 1/2 tsp baking powder instead!
Yummy! I did the cast iron method for just the two of us, and now we want to try making it in the Ooni oven – going to pair it with your squash and lentil dal and who knows what else, but it’s going to be a family dinner hit I know!
Ooooh good idea!
First time “naaning” and they turned out great! Amazing to have them fresh! Thanks Julie!
Yay! so glad to hear it!