Easy naan bread
Rustle up soft, fluffy naan bread topped with herby garlic butter. A perfect side dish for dunking into curries, it’s super easy to make
- Prep:20 mins
Cook:30 mins
plus at least 1 hr resting - Easy
Nutrition per serving
- kcal 282
- fat 7g
- saturates 3g
- carbs 47g
- sugars 0g
- fibre 2g
- protein 8g
- salt 1g
Ingredients
- 570g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½-1 tsp strongly-flavoured seeds, such as nigella or cumin seeds (optional)
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 8 tbsp natural yogurt
- oil, for the bowl
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- small handful of coriander, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
Tip
ADD SEEDS
To add seeds to the tops of the naans, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tbsp milk. Brush this egg wash over the uncooked naan, then sprinkle your chosen seeds over the top – nigella, cumin, poppy or sesame seeds all work well. Or, scatter the seeds over the uncooked naans and push them into the dough by rolling over the top with a rolling pin. Cook as above.Method
Put the flour in a large bowl, then add the sugar, baking powder and 1½ tsp salt. Add the seeds, if you like. Lightly whisk to disperse the ingredients evenly throughout the flour.
Add 1 tbsp of the melted butter, followed by the natural yogurt. Mix together with your hands. Once the yogurt and butter have been absorbed, gradually add 180-200ml water, 50ml at a time. Mix between additions, until it begins to come together into a dough. The water amount will depend on the consistency of the yogurt and butter – stop adding when you have a ball of dough.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead thoroughly for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put in an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for at least 1 hr. The dough will not rise but it is important to let it rest as this helps to make the naans less chewy and more fluffy.
If making the garlic butter, mix the garlic with the remaining 1 tbsp melted butter and the coriander. Set aside.
Divide the dough into eight, 10 or 12 even-sized pieces, depending on how big you want the naans. Roll into round balls, then return to the bowl, covered with a tea towel.
Roll one of the dough balls out on a lightly floured surface into a round, oval or teardrop shape – roll with a diagonal motion to get an oval. Flip the dough over and repeat on the other side.
Heat a frying pan. Dry fry the dough over a medium high heat until it begins to puff up and the underside browns in places. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the cooked naan from the pan. Spoon a little of the garlic butter over the naan, if using. Sprinkle over some coriander, if you like. Cover with a tea towel while you repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough.