Tandoori Naan

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Plain Naan, Butter Naan, Garlic naan)

The whole world is aware of this particular flatbread from India. Yes, I am talking about the super soft Tandoori Naan. This is also made in the neighboring states of India like Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Singapore. In the recent years it has gained popularity in western countries too.

This naan bread is quite similar to pita bread. It has a very soft texture because of the yeast and yogurt used in the preparation of dough. The dough is proofed and is traditionally cooked in a tandoor. The extremely high temperature in the tandoor cooks the naan is less than couple of minutes retaining all the moisture and softness. Almost similar results can be achieved at home when made on stove top or in the convectional oven. 

Naan tastes best with creamy gravies like Paneer Butter Masala, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Malai Kofta, Dal Makhani or with Kebab varieties. It is served along with Pulao, gravies and tandoori chicken in weddings and restaurants. At home, you can make it anyday for dinner with some curry or for lunch along with some pulao. I have explained the step by step procedure for making naan easily at home. I have also shared a couple of variations - Butter Naan and Garlic Naan below. Be sure to try it and leave your feedback.

Recipe For Tandoori Naan

Preparation Time: 1.5 hours (including proofing time)
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 - 5

Ingredients

• All Purpose flour (Maida) - 2 cups
• Active dry yeast - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Yogurt (or Milk) - 1/4 cup
• Water(lukewarm) - about 1/2 ( or as needed)
• Butter/ Ghee - to spread on naan
• Salt - 1 tsp (or to taste)
• Sugar - 1 tsp

Method

1. Dissolve active dry yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Set aside until it becomes frothy (app. 10 min).
2. Take the maida (all purpose flour) in a wide bowl. Add some salt, oil and yogurt to it and mix well.
3. Next add the water-yeast mixture little by little to the flour and knead it. Add additional water if necessary.
4. Knead until you get a very soft dough. The dough will be little sticky in the beginning which is perfect and ensures very soft naan. After kneading for about 5-10 minutes, it will become non sticky and pliable.
5. Cover the dough with a moist paper towel and keep in a warm place for at least 1-2 hours. The dough should double in size.
6. Divide the dough into lemon size balls. Roll it out into oval shape (the typical naan shape) using rolling pin or with hand.
7. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature. If there is a broil mode or grill mode in your oven use that. If you have a pizza stone preheat the stone also for half an hour. If not you can use a normal baking tray or grill rack. Place the rolled out naan on the pizza stone/ baking tray/grill rack and cook it for 2-5 minutes till you see brown spots. (If the pizza stone is preheated, you can remove it in 2-3 minutes. If not flip the naan and cook for another 1 min). Remove the naan immediately. If you keep it longer, the naan will become dry and hard.
8. It can also be cooked on stove top over high heat just like regular rotis. Cook for 2 minutes each side till you get black spots.
9. Your soft Plain Naans are ready to enjoy.
10. To make Butter Naans, ss soon as you remove the naans from the stove, apply some butter on top. For Garlic Naans, mix some minced garlic and finely chopped cilantro with some melted butter. Apply this over the rolled out naans before roasting.

Detailed Steps to make Naan

Dissolve active dry yeast and sugar in lukewarm water and set it aside until it becomes frothy. Add some salt, oil and yogurt with the maida in a large mixing bowl.

Next add the  activated yeast mixture little by little to the flour and mix it. 

Keep kneading until you get a very soft dough. It will take 5-10 minutes of kneading.

Cover the dough with a moist paper towel and keep in a warm place for about 1-2 hours.

The dough should have doubled in volume by now due to the air bubbles formed. This is very important to have soft naans.

Take a small lemon sized balls of the dough. 

Flatten it with your palm.

Using a rolling pin roll it out into an oblong shape. Mine was not a perfect shape but thats ok.

Heat a pan over high heat. Gently place the rolled out naan on the pan. Cook for couple of minutes until the bottom gets some brown spots.

Flip the naan and cook the other side too. 

To make in the oven, preheat the oven to the highest temperature or put it in broil mode or grill mode depending on your oven model. Place the rolled out naan on a pizza stone or a baking tray  or the grill rack. Cook it for 2-5 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute. The timing changes from oven to oven.

Either way you cook, remove it as soon as you see brown spots on both sides. Cooking for longer time will make the naans hard.

Fot Butter Naan

• After removing the naan, brush some butter on top while it is still hot.

  

For Garlic Naan

• Sprinkle some minced garlic on top of the rolled out dough before cooking. Else melt some butter, mix some minced garlic and finely chopped cilantro with it.

  

• Spread this butter over the rolled out naans and then roast as before.

  

• Aromatic Garlic Naans are ready to enjoy.

  

Tips

• If you do not have oven, cook the rolled out dough on stove top like making chapattis. Keep the heat to the maximum.
• If you prefer making naan without yeast, substitute 1 tsp of Baking Powder and 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda for the yeast in the above recipe.

More Maida Recipes

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Comment by cheil leo
Hi sis...:-)
Love naan, its my favourite. Its my first time going to make naan so i hv a few questions before i start making d MESS. Some recipe called fr egg, yogurt n milk. Whereby some called fr yogurt only. Can u tell me the differents? Tks..;-).

Reply :-
Hi Cheil, I don't find any difference in taste with or without egg. But its all personal preference. You can try both the recipes and stick to the one which you like best.

Comment by akhila reddy
nice recipe what is yeast

Reply :-
Hi Akila, Yeast is a micro organism that is used for fermentation. It is used for many bread varieties and evern some other recipes. You can find it in most grocery stores.

Comment by Kuralkar Smitesh
Its really nice& essay to cook naan .
but i have A one Que :on a naan that's the layer how to create that?

Reply :-
Hi Kuralkar, I din't understand your question. Can you tell it more clearly??

Comment by Ankita Awasthi
Hi Thanks for this simple recipe. One ques. if I dont have yeast..can i use baking soda instead?

Reply :-
Hi Ankita, You can use baking soda. But I prefer the texture of naans using yeast. I feel its softer.

Comment by Terrie Dempster
Now that i have found this fantastic web site i can't wait to start making some of the recipes, I have bookmarked it and will be making garlic naan tonight, thank you!

Reply :-
Thats great!! Try it and let me know how it came..

Comment by Michael Hume
Just curious, how many naan does this recipe make?

Reply :-
6-8 medium sized naans.

Comment by Michele K
I made this naan last night, and ended up having to cook it almost 6 minutes total. I think that probably had to do with the thickness I made the naan. I tried to roll it out with a rolling pin but wasn't sure if flouring the rolling pin would mess up the portions, so I ended up flattening it with my hand.
Also, the dough was more bready and less chewy as traditional naan I've had has been. I used yogurt instead of milk, and wonder if using milk would give me the chewiness I'm looking for, or if the yogurt and milk produce the same dough, but it's a matter of rolling it thinner.

Reply :-
Hi Michele, Traditionally naans are made in the tandoor in thich the temperature is very very high (around 900 degrees F). The high temperature gives a unique texture and flavour to the naan bread. We try to replicate and get a similar texture and taste with our home ovens.
Regarding milk and yogurt, I personally prefer yogurt as it adds a hint of tanginess that is common in traditional naans. I'm not sure why your naans were less chewy. May be next time you can try making with milk.

Comment by pauly muley
this was the 1st time i made naan myself, it was so good, i am so glad i came across the recipe, many thanks

Reply :-
Hi Pauly, Thats so nice to hear. I'm glad you liked the recipe.

Comment by tashi yangki
Thanks for sharing the knowledge but i have two doubts.
1)i don't know when my nann is ready to take out?
2)the size of the naan.(thickness)

Reply :-
Hi Tashi,
1. Naan can be taken out as soon as you see a few brown spots on the top side. If you leave it longer, it will become hard.
2. Thickness of the naan is totally a personal choice. I prefer to make it thin.

Comment by Abida Abi
I am going to try this to night

Reply :-
Do try it and give your comments!!!

Comment by  vasinti govindan on 24 February 2010 09:01AM          
Hi sis,
I've been trying yr recipes - very nice.
Can u pls show me how to do laddu. Thanks

Reply :-
Hi Vasinti,
Thanks for trying the recipes. Rava Laddu recipe is already there in the website https://simpleindianrecipes.com/ravaladoo.aspx.

Comment by athanasius lee on 12 August 2009 21:27PM
wonderful!! not like other run of the mill food sites. i enjoy cooking myself and really appreciate your good work.
great and simple recipes. tasty food. very impressive!1. reading the recipes makes my mouth water.
i am very happy that i have found this site.

Reply :-
thanks lee for your compliments. Keep visiting to see the updates and try them too.

Comment by Sook Bunton on 09 August 2009 06:01AM
I tried this the other day with an Indian curry and it was fabulous! Thanks!!
 
Reply :-
thanks sook. i saw ur blog too. u have a wonderful collection. i'll surely refer to your blog often.

Comment by Sook Bunton  on 29 July 2009 19:03PM
Mmmm.... I am going to try this tonight. Thanks for sharing!

Reply :-
Do try and get back with your feedback...