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I was planning to make naan for a long time now. It remained just a plan for a long time for some reason or other. Finally V gave enough push to actually try my hands on it. He usually does not like this very popular bread. But one of his colleagues is a great fan of garlic naan and V wants to invite him home sometime. I didn’t want to experiment on him, so I had to learn making these at home.
My first attempt was not very good. Though everything was fine, I rolled them a bit thicker than required for naan. When baked, they became like a thin crusted pizza base. I had also used 1 cup all purpose flour + 1/2 cup wheat flour for this. I think the wheat flour made it a bit dense. So this time, I made them real thin and I could not believe my eyes when they puffed up beautifully. Within minutes, we finished them all.
I took some help from Bee’s recipe, Asha’s recipe and many more from the internet. I saw many recipes that used baking soda/powder instead of yeast, but I love working with yeast as I get fascinated when the dough doubles in volume 
.
The pictures don’t do justice, as we really like eating them very hot, fresh out of oven, I did not spend time clicking pictures as they get cooled off. But I tried to click some anyway. When I make them next time, I will try to take more pictures.
Ingredients:
1 tea spn active dry yeast
2 tbl spn yogurt
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tea spn sugar
3/4 tea spn salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbl spn water
Garlic-butter topping(Mix both):
1 tbl spn butter
1 tea spn garlic
Method:
Heat the water to luke warm (it should be warm when you dip your finger in it. I normally microwave water for 10sec). Add yeast, sugar and salt. Leave it for 10mins till the yeast forms a froth(gets activated).
Now add all remaining ingredients and make it into a dough. Knead for 3-4mins. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place for about 2-3hrs till the dough doubles in volume.
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Make balls from the dough and roll them. Do not make them too thick as they puff up when baked (I roll them into thicker than chapathi/phulka but thinner than alu paratha). Apply a little butter on top. Line them on a lightly buttered cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven at 425F for about 7mins till they puff up. Take out, apply the garlic-butter mixture on the top and keep it in the oven again. Bake for another 5mins till the top looks brownish.
Makes about 8 small naans
PS:
– I kept a pizza stone in the oven and then placed the cookie sheet with naans on top of it.
– You can reduce the amount of butter if you don’t like too much butter.
- Avoid the garlic for plain naan.
- Do not apply too much butter while baking to avoid the brown color. I like the color, so I bake it with butter.
– If you do not have oven at home, roast the naans on a tava like normal chapathis.
here’s something i found. forget baking. put them on a hot tava (preferably cast iron). it should be very very hot. when it starts bubbling on the top and gets golden bow spots on the bottom, put the uncooked side directly on a flame like you do for phulkas for a few seconds until you get a few charred spots. just for a very short while.
the result is much much softer than baking. and it remains soft even after cooling. try it.
Shilpa: Thanks Bee. Will try next time. I saw roasting them on tava on TV sometime back, i wasn’t very sure if they would work well. But yes, I have tried grilled pizza on my cast iron grill and it was awesome. So I am sure this also will be great
.
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:43 pmshilpa, Your naan looks wonderful , i too tried them, though i dont have an oven. The first problem i faced was with the yeast.I used blue bird, active dry yeast, they looked like small brown mustard seeds. I took a tsp of it crushed a little, added some sugar and warm water and kept in a warm place, neither did it frost nor did the dough rised. What is the the alternate, i also need the yeast to get frosted for appam but it remains in the cup like a simple concoction, pl advice
Shilpa: Was the yeast very fresh(check expiry date)? Crushed the yeast – was that written on the instructions? I never crush them, just add them to water with sugar and salt. If the water is too hot, the yeast may die. If it is too cold, the yeast does not get activated. So try it again.
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:54 amThanks for this! I thought naan could only be cooked in a tandoor! will try this tomorrow!
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 amWow! I love garlic naan. Thanks for the recipe Shilpa… I somehow get scared to try things that use yeast!
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:14 amThat looks yum Shilpa…great way to start the new year!..:0)
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:54 amOh wow, what a recipe to start my new year with. I am going to get the yeast from the store tomorrow itself and see how I fair at this one. Thanks for sharing this recipe Shilpa and thanks bee for all those tips too.
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:57 amI love naan too but have never tried making it. Yours looks delicious
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:56 amhi shilpa,
toda y morning when i got up i was thinking of making malai kofta and naan for lunch today, when i came and victed ur site, u had updated the naan recepi. i thnk we both have telepathy
will do it today and let u know till now all ur recepies have come out good:) thanks to you and ppl all sayme that i am a good cook including ,y son who is 7 and daughter who is 5 . thanks to you.
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:20 amThey look fresh to me! I too like garlic naan very much and this is my usual farmaish in hotels:) Happy New Year!
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:46 amHi Shilpa!!! Happy New Year!!!
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pmThose naans look yummy! I too like the brown spots, if the naan remains white, i get the feeling it is nderdone!
hi,
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 pm“naan” is my daughters favourite food. I make it very often at my home and would like to share my technique of baking them. instead of baking them you can try to broil them on highest degree of the oven and placing the naan to the top most rack. you get beautiful brown spots on the naan in few seconds.
Those really look lovely….I am still quite afraid to make them….! Happy New year to you and yours!
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:38 pmMade them a couple of times at home. My kids love it. The first time i made it in oven, was abt 18 months ago. I was not satisfied with the results. Then my neighbour suggested to use a cast iron pan. Since then it has been perfect.
Thanks Bee for the tip of cooking one side directly on flame.
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:54 pmHi Shilpa
Thanks for the naan recipe. Is there any alternative for yeast/baking powder. Won’t it become fluffly otherwise? As even dosa batter also needs bakind soda/yeast to ferment but I prepare the batter without using them!
Thanks for your recipe site, it’s wonderful!
Shilpa: I don’t know if there is a way to make naan without baking powder/yeast.
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:44 pmHi Shilpa,the naan luks lovely. Do u have to stir in the yeast and sugar? It may sound really stupid but my yeast never ever rises. And i dont have a microwave to try your method. Please help.
Shilpa: You need not stir them, just shake the vessel a bit which is enough. You can heat the water on stove top (if you make curds at home, you might be heating the milk a bit before putting the curd culture, so much heat is enough for this too). Check if your yeast has expired. Keep the dough in a warm place and wait for about 2hrs
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:23 pmNaans look yummy… It has perfect brown spots.. will try the tawa method soon
January 4th, 2009 at 3:49 amHi Shilpa,
Haapy New Year!Please also tell me the recipe of the curry that you have made as a side dish for the naan. It looks great!
Shilpa: It is matar paneer. I will post it soon.
January 4th, 2009 at 4:19 amHi,
The naan luks gr8, I tried to prepare naan many times but was never successfully with yeat
. Will hv to try again….
January 4th, 2009 at 8:57 amI also tried making naan few days back,n they came out really well.. , though i don’t have a oven ,i made it over stove top only.. And even i couldn’t click the pis.. [:)] , next time ‘ll take snap post it..
January 4th, 2009 at 8:58 pmHi Shilpa, Thanks for Naan’s recipe. Its very good in taste compare to hotel’s Naans. Thanks again. Give me some another recipe of KIDS favorite.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:09 amFirst of all, let me wish you a very Happy New Year, Shilpa.
Your naan looks fantastic, even though its not warm.
January 6th, 2009 at 8:30 amI make mine at home too. The stove top versions are softer than the oven baked ones. You can even use your non-stick pan (on medium heat) to make them.
Wet one side of the rolled naan and put that side face down on the pan. It will stick. Cover the pan for about 1/2 a minute and the naan will puff up. Then just hold the pan + naan upside down a little abouve the flameit will brown. Use a spatula and loosen the naan from the pan.
Hi Shilpa,
This looks interesting. I m going to try & let u know.
I tried Malai Kofta last week & it was very tasty. All credit goes to you…
Many thanks.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:11 pmBhavi.
thanks for the recipe .i made it this weekend and my hubby just loved it .i just used the tawa and came out better than the ones i have had in U.S …thanks again
January 27th, 2009 at 11:10 pmHi Shilpa,
Tried the naan recipe ,it turned out to be a a success. I was wondering does the pizza stone enhances the outcome? And if I have to buy one which shop/brand I should look for in U.S.?
Thanks for the recipe .
Shilpa: I bought it in Walmart. Don’t know the brand.
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:40 pmHi shilpa,
i am from hyd, india…
i liked your site, its gr8 to see so many receips in one site… thank for helping us with your cooking talent…
can we do the same receip in the convientional oven …. pl let me know…..
March 6th, 2009 at 1:41 amhi Shilpa,
April 13th, 2009 at 12:35 ami tried this receipe, except that instead of an owen, i used Convection setting in the Micro. the 1st batch turned hard like pappad. So i then took a blob of dough, cut it in 2 halves filled the garlic butter in the center, then put some more on top.
i tosees it back in the micro for 30 mins. The result was a loaf of yummy garlic break, the a crisp outer layer. Just like the kind served in pizzerias in Bangalore.
Your Naan looks perfect!!! One way of making naan without using baking powder or yeast is to use self raising flour instead of all purpose flour / plain flour. Self raising flour is also used while making bature.. which gives them same result..
April 15th, 2009 at 7:04 amDoesn’t adding salt to the yeast+sugar mixture kill the yeast ?
Or should we add the salt to the flour instead?
Shilpa: Jane, I don’t know. I always make bread also this way.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pmShilpa – Really appreciate your quick response..Followed your recipe , however did not bake it..Used the stove top method..sticking one side and inverting the tawa..Was great.Thank you !
May 15th, 2009 at 8:16 amHi Shilpa,
Recipe turned out awesome but am not satisfied with the thickness I rolled it out.. May be next time you post a pic of how thick you rolled them (I know you have been elaborate in your explaination but I still goofed up).
Thanks,
Shilpa
May 17th, 2009 at 12:51 pmHi
Can u please tell me the amount of baking powder i shud use instead of yeast…
Shilpa: I haven’t tried with baking powder yet. Will definitely update when I try it,
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 am