Naan (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

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The traditional method of cooking naan in a hot clay tandoor oven with charcoal or wood fire is labor-intensive and requires skill and expertise, making it impractical for home kitchens. That’s why I’ve created this simple naan recipe for fluffy and chewy naan bread, which is cooked in a hot cast-iron skillet, allowing you to enjoy it fresh and warm straight from your own kitchen.

Whether you’re dipping it in chicken curry or just enjoying it on its own, it does a great job of satisfying your Indian food cravings.

This recipe has proven to be highly effective, having been tried and tested by home cooks worldwide, all reporting great success in their kitchens. With over 1,500 votes and an average rating of 4.6, it stands as the best and most reliable naan recipe available online.

What Is Naan

Naan is a type of flatbread staple in many South Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Although it’s associated with Indian cuisine, it actually originated in Persia (now known as Iran).

It is soft, doughy, and light with gorgeous brown spots, perfect for mopping up sauces and curries such as Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, or curry chicken. It’s one of those dishes that you should never skip when eating at an Indian restaurant.

Naan is cooked in a special oven called a tandoor, which is super hot, reaching up to 900°F. Traditional tandoor ovens use charcoal or wood fire, adding a unique smoky flavor to the naan. So, the high heat and quick cooking process in the tandoor oven are what make naan so delicious and distinctive.

Traditional naan is made in a special oven called a tandoor. Tandoor oven is usually made of clay or metal and has been used for ages in places like Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. This oven is heated by burning charcoal or wood, giving the naan a smoky flavor.

One of the defining characteristics of naan bread is its charred appearance. To achieve this, naan dough is slapped against the hot walls of the tandoor oven (see picture above) using a cushioned pad or by hand. This rapid contact with the intense heat creates those characteristic charred and bubbly spots on the surface of the naan. The intense heat, sometimes reaching 900°F (482°C), cooks the naan quickly and creates air pockets inside the flatbread, making it soft, airy and chewy all at once.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Different countries have their own versions of this flatbread. But the basic ingredients remain the same: all-purpose flour, water, and yeast. In some cases, people add plain yogurt, ghee, milk, or egg for extra texture and flavor. Here are the list if ingredients used in my easy homemade naan recipe:

• all-purpose flour – gives the bread its structure. Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, you might need more or less flour to make a smooth and elastic dough.
• yeast – helps the dough rise to get a nice, fluffy texture. I’m using active dry yeast in this recipe, but you can also use instant yeast.
• warm water and sugar – these two ingredients are crucial to activate the yeast.
• plain yogurt – the secret ingredient in this cast iron naan recipe. It keeps the dough soft and moist while adding a hint of tanginess to the bread.

Variations: Add Garlic And Cheese

Naan offers endless possibilities to keep your taste buds excited. From savory garlic naan to the irresistible cheesy garlic naan, there’s always something new to try and enjoy.

My garlic naan recipe has minced garlic and chopped cilantro on the dough, lending a garlicky flavor to the flat bread.

Cheesy garlic naan is topped with melted cheese like cheddar cheese (or mozzarella cheese) for a cheesy treat.

See Also

Naan Bread - Wood Stone

Both variations offer a tasty twist on the classic recipe. They can be enjoyed alongside various Indian dishes or enjoyed on their own as a snack or appetizer.

The Secret Of Naan: The Power Of Yogurt

Yogurt is the secret ingredient in my recipe. Some naan bread recipes have no yogurt, but let me tell you why you cannot do without yogurt.

• Yogurt adds moisture and tenderness to the dough, making sure that the end result is uber soft and fluffy texture that we all love!
• Yogurt lends a creamy and slightly acidic flavor to the dough, adding mild tangy flavors to the bread.
• Yogurt also imparts a tint of sweetness, which makes the finished bread tastier.

Plain Yogurt Versus Greek Yogurt

Both plain yogurt and Greek yogurt work well for making naan bread at home. Greek yogurt may result in a denser texture due to its higher protein content and lower moisture content.

Plain yogurt certainly produces softer, fluffier naan. Ultimately what you use depends on your personal preference, dietary needs and availability.

If you like chewy and denser naan, use Greek yogurt. If you prefer pillow soft texture, opt for plain yogurt.

How To Make Naan

Unlike a traditional naan recipe, I only used a hot cast-iron skillet in my recipe. And trust me, making naan at home is easier than you think!

It turned out delicious, soft, and puffy with beautiful golden brown spots and blisters on the surface. It’s super close to an authentic naan that you get in restaurants.

Step 1: Activate Yeast. 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.

Step 2: Making Naan Dough. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, salt, and oil, and 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 in about 1 hour.

Step 3: Rolling Naan Bread. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to an 8” (230g) circle using a rolling pin.

Step 4: Cooking Naan Bread. 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 the dough is done.

Step 5: Brush cooked naan with melted butter, and serve warm.

Helpful Tips: Climate And Temperature

Here are some pro tips for making delicious and fail-proof naan bread at home, every time!

• The dough is sensitive to climate and temperature variations. If your dough is sticky, add 2 more tablespoons of flour to bind the dough. Likewise, in dry climates, you may need to add more water to the dough to prevent it from drying out too quickly.
• Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth and elastic, or use a stand mixer to speed up the process. Then, let it rest until it doubles in size. Please take note that in warmer climates, naan dough may rise faster due to more active yeast, while in cooler climates, it may take longer to rise.
• Make sure to use a very hot skillet to cook the flatbread. The high heat puffs up the bread for that iconic airy appearance. It’s done when burnt brown “blisters” or spots appear (see photo above). In hotter climates or kitchens, naan may cook faster due to higher temperature, leading to quicker browning and potential charring.
• Brush the fresh-off-the-skillet bread with some melted salted butter or ghee, and top them with fresh cilantro.

Simply put, climate and temperature may affect this simple naan bread recipe. For the best results, please adjust your naan-making process accordingly. Enjoy!