Easy Homemade Naan

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

In India, we eat Naan so often that we don’t realize what a bliss it is. Naan is not just another flat bread; it is the fancy bread which can be paired with anything. You can scoop up your favorite curries with it or make a flatbread sandwich or personal pizza. You can even freeze them in zip lock bags so if you have some leftovers there is no need to fret about it. Before serving, just warm it up in the oven for a few minutes and pair it with your favorite dishes. That is the beauty of homemade Naans, prepare them whenever you want and enjoy them whenever you like. Now there is no need to buy frozen Naans from the store. Follow my easy directions and make your own homemade soft Naans, serve them at your special soirees and you will be sure to get compliments.

I have seen several recipes online with yeast but believe me the North Indian Naans taste very different. We realized that yeast will not work for a naan recipe the very first time we tried it at home. The flavor and texture was all wrong. So the next time I looked again and found a recipe with baking powder. This is the simplest and most delicious recipe and you need only six ingredients for it, all of which are almost always available in our pantry.

Baking powder is also a lot easier to work with. If you have baked breads before you know that working with yeast can be quite tricky. There is always a chance that the dough will not rise enough. Also, you have to be careful with the kneading and baking time. Baking Powder on the other hand is a relaxed approach. You can knead the dough before hand and keep it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature, roll it and grill it. It’s that easy! Over time I have made changes in the original recipe and now I can say with confidence that my homemade Naans taste even better than the store bought ones. We have these Naans every time we are off diet and also whenever we are having guests over. Everyone loves fresh hot Naans straight from the grill with a delicious curry.

If you have already tried my Tandoori Roti recipe, then you have some idea how to work the dough, roll and grill it. If you haven’t tried that recipe, you are in for a treat! These Naans are super soft to chew and the addition of Fennel Seeds bring a fresh aroma in them. While Tandoori Rotis are prepared with a mixture of Whole Wheat Flour and All Purpose Flour, Naans are prepared entirely with All Purpose Flour and the yogurt not only helps in the fermentation process but also brings that beautiful texture and flavor in them.

You can roll the Naans in any shape you want but it is best known for its classic teardrop shape. Just make sure not to roll the dough too thin. Use your hands if necessary to flatten the dough. 

Enjoy these delicious Naans with friends and family. Serve them on a special date night or even at a barbeque party with some yummy Kababs. The possibilities are endless!

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 3 cups  
• Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon 
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon 
• Yogurt - 1 ½ cups, plain (no Greek) 
• Fennel Seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Canola Oil – 2-3 tablespoons

Directions to knead the dough:

• Sift and mix the dry ingredients (All Purpose Flour, Fennel Seeds, Baking Powder and Salt) together in a bowl. 

• Stir in the Yogurt till the dough is too stiff for a spoon, then knead it in the bowl till it holds together well. If using stand mixer, use the dough hook and knead at the lowest speed so that the flour develops enough gluten.

• If the flour is sticking on the sides of the bowl, switch off the mixer and clean with a spatula.
• Keep it running until the dough begins to come together.
• If the dough turns out a bit stickier, add a little flour and keep kneading until it’s smooth and almost non sticky.
• Turn it out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about 5 minutes till the dough feels smooth and elastic. Pull a part of the dough and fold it inside, press and push the dough a little with your palm, flattening it, then repeat the steps.
• Form the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl or box, roll the dough to cover it with oil evenly, cover with a towel, to rest for an hour or longer. 

Tip: You can also keep it overnight in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before rolling.

Directions to roll the dough:

• Take the dough out and divide it into 10 equal pieces. You can use the bench scrapper for this step.

• These 10 pieces will make 10 Naans. Take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Press the ball between your palms lightly to flatten it a little like a disc. Put all the other balls of dough back in the bowl and cover it. This will prevent the dough from drying out.
• Now let’s roll the Naan, normally that oil (in which the dough rested) will be enough to roll the Naan properly, however, if you feel it difficult to manage just spread a little flour on the board (or on your counter top) and roll it into a teardrop, oval or round shape with even thickness on all sides. It should be of medium size (or of the size of your palm). A little unevenness in shape is ok. You can use a rolling pin or just press lightly with your palm to flatten the dough.

Tip: See the even thickness of the Naan. The center and sides are equally thick.

• Now transfer the rolled Naan on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover it with a fresh kitchen towel. Roll the other Naans. You can use parchment paper to stack rolled Naans in a single layer on top of each other. We are now ready to grill them.

Directions to Grill the Naans:

• Make sure to use a clean grill and keep an oven safe dish nearby to transfer the cooked Naans.
• Preheat the Grill on high heat. 
• Arrange the Naans on the Grill. Leave some space between them and do not over lap. 
• Cook for 5 minutes, once you see light golden spots or reddish-brown spots appearing on them, it’s time to flip them. Spray them with Butter and flip sides.
• You may want to cover and cook the Naans for some time. The batch should be ready in 8-10 minutes, depending on the Grill. Spray them with Butter and continue to cook till they have brownish red chars on them. Keep an eye on the Grill so as not to burn them.
• Transfer the cooked Naans to a casserole dish lined with foil so that they stay warm for a long time.
• Serve the Naans hot with Butter Chicken, Achari Mutton or Mughlai Kabab. You can also brush them with butter or ghee before serving.

Photo shows: Naans prepared with yeast. Notice the difference in texture, it looks more like a baked bread.

Directions to bake the Naan:

When guests are coming and the weather doesn’t call for grilling, make the Naans in your oven. It is pretty easy and quick to roll and bake them right before serving. However, if you don’t want to go for this hassle in front of your guests, you can do a little prep. I usually bake one side beforehand and bake the other side right before serving them. 

• Heat the oven on High or 500 degrees F (Broiler mode).
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the Naans on it in a single layer.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes or until one side is completely done and looks charred on places. 
• Transfer them on a cooling rack for a few minutes to cool them completely then transfer to a bowl lined with foil and cover them. 
• When ready to serve, arrange the Naans (cooked side down) on the baking tray lined with a fresh parchment paper and grill the other side on High (or 500 F) for 3-4 minutes or until the Naans look cooked. Serve hot.

Tips:

• When hosting a large party, you can grill one side of the Naans the previous day, cool them on a cooling rack and store them in the fridge in zip lock bags. 
• Before grilling the other side, bring them to room temperature by keeping the zip locks outside for an hour. 
• Change the parchment paper after every round of grilling to prevent it from burning inside the oven.

This article has been published in the Kansas City Bengali Association Durga Puja 2018 Magazine.

Recommended Reading:

• One Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
• Butter Chicken (Indian Recipe: Chicken pieces in a creamy buttery gravy)
• Chicken Masala
• Dhaba Wala Saag Chicken (Chicken in Spinach Curry Rustic Indian Style)
• Achari Mutton
• Grilled Lamb Kababs
• Mutton Gravy
• How to re-use the leftover dough
• Tandoori Roti
• Dahi Chicken (Seared Chicken in Yogurt Gravy)
• Alu Kulcha (Indian Flat Bread with Potato Filling)
• Matar Mushroom (Peas and Mushroom in a creamy gravy)
• Mamma’s Mixed Vegetables
• Grilled Tandoori Shrimp
• Murgh Malai Tikka (Grilled Creamy Tender Chicken)
• Mamma’s Matar Paneer (Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese in a tomato gravy)
• Shahi Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese in a creamy gravy)
• Easy Air Fryer Paneer Tikka
• Shadi wala Masala Gobhi (Spiced Cauliflower with Potatoes as served in North Indian Weddings)
• Chicken Kosha (Bengali Style Hot Chicken Gravy)
• Hariyali Ghosht - Herbed Goat Curry
• Dal Makhani (Creamy Urad Dal/ Black Lentils with Rajma/ Kidney Beans)